I Dare You to
by S.Spooky
Summary: Tired of losing to Riku in every sport, game, and contest imaginable, Sora decides to challenge his long time friend to a simple game of truth or dare. However, the tables turn as Riku has Sora wishing he chose 'truth' instead.
1. Feel the Breeze Between Your Knees

I'M BACKKK! (hears only crickets) Hm...tough crowd. Yeah, I'm still alive and I'm glad to be back. Reading stories are fun and all but I was aching to start writing. So, here's another one of my attempts to appease your voracious appetite for kingdom hearts fanfiction.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any references used in the story.

* * *

-_Chapter One-_**  
Feel the Breeze Between Your Knees  
**

The rolling waves gently lapped up along the beach, cooling the sore ankles of a certain brown haired boy. A grimace dressed his face and an uncharacteristic clenched jaw revealed a set of white teeth that held on to a blood, soaked paper towel. Breathing profusely, the seething boy took a roll of wraps and messily dressed an open wound on his right leg. The tape job was poorly done with loose ends sticking out that did little to encase the four inch cut. Pulling on a roll of scotch tape, Sora tangled it around his shin, using the whole roll to keep the wrappings in place.

For a moment, he watched the waves ride up against his ankles, clearing away the drips of blood from underneath him. It was another day of play for the boy. The sun shone over the horizon and a soft breeze that followed kept the clouds away. Clear blue skies were the forecast for the rest of the summer. It was perfect weather for fun and games. The sound of the ocean and the gentle pats from the water made his pain subside for a moment, the effects from the disinfectant waning. Calming his distraught spirit, he spit out the paper towel and watched as the water took it away. The taste of salt still lingered on his lips.

Stretching his leg, the boy reclined on his back, shifting his weight on his arm. In this position, he could easily clean up another cut that was situated around his midsection. Similar to the gash on his shin, this wound wasn't too bad. It just so happened that a regular paper towel wouldn't be enough to absorb the blood. Stripping off his white shirt, Sora used it to clear away the debris before applying a quick dab of disinfectant. To his surprise, the cut was hardly anything more than a regular paper cut. Groaning, Sora felt his eyes water as he drained the disinfectant bottle onto his stomach, the stinging made worse by the blowing wind.

Breathing rapidly, Sora reached for a band aid and slapped it over his body. Job finished, he rested his head over his arms and let his fatigue take hold. It had been quite a start to the day. He and his best friend, Riku, had just finished a footrace along the entire perimeter of the island. An intense sword fight followed, resulting in a mummified Sora. He was on the losing end after two events. There was still a lot of daylight left and he vowed he wouldn't leave for home a loser.

"SORA!"

Groaning in utter disbelief, the boy lifted his shoulders, head vigorously shaking in both directions to find the source of the voice. His nap was already ruined, his peace threatened, and his head was now aching. Couple that with his shattered pride and humbled ego, Sora was in no mood for friendly jabs or sarcastic mockery.

"There you are, you lazy bum," a voice called out behind him.

Falling onto his back, his eyes locked on a pair of purple irises he could never forget. Bright, warm, and gentle - there was only one person who had eyes like those.

"What do you want, Kairi?" a perturbed Sora whined. He closed his eyes and moved his head behind Kairi's body letting her shade him from the sun. Yawning, he fought to regain his lost nap but instead he found himself struggling to relax. Much to his dismay, his friend's voice allowed for no moment's rest.

"You look funny," the girl exclaimed behind giggles. "You look like a mummy with those bandages all over your face!"

Sora stuck his tongue out in retaliation, careful not to disturb the patchwork on his face. A small smile formed on his lips and he and Kairi burst into laughter. He undoubtedly looked horrible. His face was barely recognizable. There were two on his cheek, a white patch stuck to his forehead, and one over his chin.

"What happened this time?" Kairi asked after regaining her composure. She plopped on the sand next to Sora but kept her face turned to hide the blush on her cheeks. Her evident worrying transcended her judgment; she had forgotten that the boy next to her was shirtless.

"We were sword fighting. I was actually winning this time," Sora proclaimed much to Kairi's doubt. "I was going to win. Then Riku cheated. He pointed behind me and said that you were standing there."

"Uh huh." She was keenly aware about the types of games her two best guy friends engaged in. Foot races weren't just jogs around the island. No, they were filled with lots of shoving, sabotage, and rough housing. Sword fights not only tested ability but measured the boy's innovation for uncanny tactics. Who knew Riku was equally skilled with a jump rope? She had to talk to Selphie about that one. The darn girl had always been a _bad_ influence. Kairi sighed as she stole a quick glance at Sora who was adjusting a set of bandages around his arm. Boys would always be boys.

"Seriously! I would have won if he didn't trick me," Sora said, emphasizing his point with a firm fist. "You have to believe me! I got distracted by you."

"By me!? It's not my fault that you fell for it."

Sora sighed, his disappointment evident. "I really wanted to win this time."

"I know," Kairi sympathized as she patted his back tenderly. She shifted in her seat as she rested her head on his shoulder. "You'll beat him soon enough. Don't even worry about it. Next time, just choose something safer. I don't want my best friend looking like a mummy."

Sora cleared his throat a bit but that did little to quell his discomfort. His face grew pink and he turned away, hoping Kairi wouldn't notice.

"But what should I choose? I tried racing, fighting, swimming, rowing, and building sand castles." He could feel his neck stiffen, the words clogging his esophagus. Why did this always happen whenever Kairi got touchy-feely?

"What about rock-paper-scissors? That's safe, I think."

Sora rubbed his chin, thinking it over. It sounded like a great idea but then his thoughts began to betray him. He could see Riku chasing him with a pair of safety scissors. Armed with only a handful of rocks, he could only watch in terror as Riku easily avoided the flying projectiles. Sora could practically hear the snips. Shaking off the thought while grabbing his head, Sora motioned for the next idea.

"Um…hopscotch?"

Sora scratched his head. He wasn't great at the game but he was certain Riku would turn it into a game of dodging rocks. Next idea.

"Hm…this is hard, Sora. I don't know what kind of game would be good for you. You're a careless person by nature so anything you do would be dangerous, not to mention dangerous for Riku as well."

"Yeah. Maybe…?" Sora furrowed his eyebrows, a thought forming in his head.

"What are you thinking?"

"Huh? Oh. Don't worry about it. It's nothing."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." He sent Kairi a brief smile before rising to his feet. This idea was golden. "Sorry, Kairi but I got to go. Thanks for everything."

Sora took off in a hurry with no regards to his injuries leaving Kairi behind with a blank expression on her face.

-KH-

Sora sat at the base of the paopu tree waiting for Riku to show up. It would be his turn to choose the next event and Sora gulped nervously. He had a slight feeling that Riku would pit him against the obstacle course. Sora hated the obstacle course with a passion. They would have to climb over old/tattered boxes, up ropes that were blistering to touch, and scale the tall palm trees. From there, it was like playing leap from canopy to canopy, the winner decided by whoever reached the star statue found behind the shack first. Sora couldn't remember all the times he fell from the tree tops, his worst injury resulting in a couple broken ribs and a sprained ankle that sidelined him during the first two weeks of summer vacation.

It was all going to change now. Replaying the conversation he had with Kairi, he felt confidence swell inside him. His losing days were now officially over.

His thoughts were abruptly disturbed by the sound of a pair of feet landing beside him. Catching a glimpse of a lock of silver hair, Sora nodded his head. Riku. Late, as usual. He watched as his albino haired friend slipped out of his blue sneakers and threw them aside. His shirt came off next, followed by his blue pants. For the sake of censorship, underneath it all was a pair of dull yellow trunks.

"We're going swimming," Riku plainly spoke over his shoulder.

Sora nodded as he, too, got ready. His shirt had previously been lying on the beach somewhere next to Kairi. Thankfully the summer weather was perfect for him to be running around shirtless. Destiny Islands had always avoided high humidity but the high heat was substituted for cold winter snow. Sora kicked off his bright yellow shoes and pulled down on the hem his pants. Falling to ground, he fought off the clothing, struggling to unhook the button. He had on red trunks.

Sora followed his friend down to the shoreline, listening intently as Riku described the rules of battle. Eagerly waiting, Sora crouched into an aggressive stance that enabled him to dive straight into the water. Riku had a knack for false starts and Sora would be danged if he fell victim to another trick.

"…so last one back is the loser," Riku finally explained. "GO!"

Sora yelped as a wave of water splashed onto his face. He could hear Riku laughing up ahead, his voice trailing behind him. Wiping away his long brown locks, Sora drove into the water, crazily, propelling his arms like a water wheel. He reached the booey and lifted his head from under the water. Eyes blurry, he was able to catch a glistening speck meters away. Riku was nearly at the finish. Sora yelled defiantly as he increased his pace, his legs feeling fatigued. Reaching out his arm, he felt the soft sand under his hand, and he pounded on it, the weight of losing crippling him. As he lifted himself out of the water, he felt Riku's overshadowing presence.

"Too slow, Sora," Riku said with a laugh. "Next time, keep your eyes open. You can't be sleeping on me."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Sora mouthed. "It's my turn to choose the game this time."

Riku smirked, shrugging his shoulders with indifference. He was physically skilled over Sora and dominated him at mostly all sports. No worries.

"Alright, Sora. Shoot."

It was now Sora's turn to smirk. Sizing up Riku, he cracked his knuckles. It was time to get serious.

"Ok, Riku. I challenge you to a game of truth or dare!" Sora exclaimed. His beaming smile looked lustrous compared to Riku's grimace. Holding up the victory sign, Sora broke into a quick dance with extra helpings of the infamous cabbage patch on the side.

"WHAT KIND OF GAME IS THAT!?" Riku barked, putting a damper on Sora's whimsical celebration.

"Sorry, Riku, but that's the game I choose," Sora answered back, a sly grin replaced his beaming smile. "Or are you chicken?"

"No. I'm just saying it's a stupid idea."

"Humph. Whatever. Rock-paper-scissors to see who goes first?"

"Fine."

"ROCK. PAPER. SCISSORS." the two boys yelled in unison. However, Sora had the last say as his rock triumphed over Riku's scissors.

"I get to go first!" the brunette shouted, once again resorting to the cabbage path.

Riku seethed as he shoved his hands into his pockets. Maybe he should have gone with bazooka.

"Don't celebrate too soon, Sora. Rock-paper-scissors will be the only game you'll win today." It was probably true. Sora would most likely dare him to do something stupid.

Climb a tree.

Steal Wakka's blitzball.

Eat mud.

Sing that one Ke$ha song.

"I dare you too run around the island butt naked!"

Or run around the island butt naked…

"Wa-what!?" That didn't sound anything like Tik Tok.

"Yeah! You heard me," Sora said as he flashed the thumbs-up sign. "I dare you to feel the breeze between your knees."

Riku gulped nervously as he pulled on the strings that held his swimming trunks above his waist. Motioning for Sora to turn around, he slipped the shorts off. He shivered a bit, unaccustomed to the free flowing wind. Clasping two hands over his noodle, he took of running. Behind him, he could hear Sora's hysterical laughter.

-KH-

Riku wrestled into his swimming trunks, his face red with embarrassment and anger.

He had begun his run using the water to camouflage his nakedness. It went well until a detour forced him away from the beach and onto land. Feet hurting from contact with the hot sand, he made a quick dash behind the waterfall. Hiding there for some time, he waited until the coast was clear.

He tightened his breathing as he heard voices. Poking his head out, he found Tidus, Wakka, and Selphie sitting across from him, their feet dangling in the water.

"Hey Tidus, wanna buy me a soda?" Selphie asked.

"Yeah brudda, can you get me one too?" the orange headed Wakka piped in.

"Sorry guys. I'm flat out broke," Tidus responded, emptying out his pockets that contained nothing more than lint and an Zanarkand Abes ticket stub.

"Aw, it's way too hot."

"Sorry Selphie. I know how you feel. I just don't have any munny on me this time."

"Uh…guys?"

"What's up, Wakka? Please tell me you have some munny!"

"No…but I think something is behind the waterfall."

"Huh?"

"Seriously, look!" Wakka pointed with his finger, tracing the barely visible outline.

"Oh man, you're right. What are we going to do, you guys?" Tidus asked as he lifted himself to his feet. "I don't do well with stalkers."

"Hey, you! Guy behind the waterfall," Selphie addressed. "Show yourself or else…"

Tidus and Wakka both took a step back, knowing how violent and wild Selphie got when aroused. As she whipped her jump rope over her hand, Tidus could literally feel his heart burst. He turned to Wakka who smartly took off behind one of the trees.

"Relax, Selphie," Riku said as he appeared from behind the waterfall, hands raised over his head in complete surrender. The boy forced a sheepish smile, a suitable peace offering. However, the action only led to Selphie losing her wits.

"Haha, _wow_ Riku. This is a side of you I've never seen before," she laughed. "Seriously, though. I would so tap that."

"Only in your _dreams_," Riku responded as he clamped his hands over his exposed self. He felt the heat of embarrassment creep up on his face and he decided it was best to leave now while the going was still good.

"Wait! Riku! Come back! I was only joking. You look good naked!"

He would have to remember to kill Sora for this.

-KH-

Sora fell on the ground, clutching his heaving stomach. He had tears in his eyes from all the laughing and he silently congratulated himself on thinking up this great idea. He hoped someone took pictures. Wiping away a single tear that rolled down his cheek, Sora dusted himself off while occasionally pointing at his best friend.

"Oh man, you should have seen your face," Sora said between gasps. "I've never seen you so red before!"

Riku just sat there in complete and utter silence. He had completed the dare, despite how humiliating it was. Wished to extract his revenge, he found himself drawing blanks. Sora's idea was pure genius, he had to admit. It looked like he was finally learning something. Riku bit down on his lip, needing to find someway of one-upping his spiky haired companion. Rubbing his chin vigorously, he looked around trying to find some sort of sign, some sort of idea, anything to turn the tables around.

"It's your turn now," said the brunette. "I choose dare, by the way."

"Hm..." Riku started out saying. His gaze was soon diverted as an illustrious shine of red sparked the culmination of his revenge. His prayer had been answered. A sinister smiled formed on his face.

"Alright Sora, I dare you to…"

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Ah, don't you hate when that happens? Cliffhanger right off the bat...even though you'll be able to guess what the dare is. I know, I know, I'm still horrible with the cliffhangers. Eh... Anyways, since this story is all about dares, I dare you to tell me what you think.

Thanks for reading.

_Rock out, party hard, live hardcore_


	2. Should've Just Chose Truth

Here we go again.

Disclaimer holds.

A/N: Alcoholic reference.

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_-Chapter Two-_**  
Should've Just Chose Truth  
**

Sora sat up in his bed, reclining his back against his white pillow. His window was wide open, letting air into the room while providing a great view of the night's sky. The stars were out in full display but did little to take his mind off his nerves. Sora sat with his hands clasped together, shaking away the thoughts that filled his mind. He could still hear Riku's voice, the dare replaying over and over again.

_I dare you to…_

Ah, he just couldn't get around to repeating it. It had stunned him the first time he had heard it. His eyes went from fascination to fear in an instant as the words were drawn out one by one. There was a moment of silence that froze him. He felt like he was staring down the barrel of a gun, thoughts empty until his wits came around. Sora threw his blanket over his head, disgusted with himself. Why did he ever agree to this? For the sake of victory, he was sure. There was no way he could lose. This was his _game_. This wasn't supposed to happen. Riku had turned the tables just as quickly and Sora found himself with the biggest dillema he ever faced. Fight Maleficent - easy pickings. Befriend beasts and mythical creatures - no problem. Fight gods and the living dead - check. Heck, he was more than ready to sing 'Tik Tok' if needed. This dare surpassed them all. Riku was pure evil.

_I dare you to kis…_

Sora let out a horrid scream that was sure to wake up the entire neighborhood. Head shaking, he threw open his door and entered the restroom. Turning on the faucet, he submerged his head in cold water, hoping to clear his head. This was all a bad dream he reassured himself.

"Come on, Sora. Breathe. It's alright. Just get some sleep."

He hopped back into bed, turning off the lights, and tried this best to close his eyes. Still, his mind was tormented. Groaning, he flipped over on his side, his hand gripping the blanket tightly. He felt like a rabid dog, volatile and easily irritated. Fighting to overcome his thoughts, he focused his energy into counting sheep, hoping the age-old technique would tire him.

_One sheep _

_two sheep _

_three sheep _

_four sheep _

_six sheep _

_I dare you to kiss Kairi _

_seven sh-  
_

Sora opened his eyes wide and violently threw the covers off. Smoke was literally rising from his sweat soaked body and his chest was heaving. That's the last straw! His heart was pounding in his chest, sweat dripping down his neck. _Kairi._ He fell back onto his bed, the shot of adrenaline leaving his body emotionally drained and weak. Breathing hard, he lifted his shirt to wipe his damp forehead. _Kairi._ Turning around, his small clock indicated that it was only two in the morning. It only meant he had seven more hours to think about the red haired angel, picture her face, her beautiful smile, and those enticing purple eyes. _Kairi._ He was in for a long night - not that he was going to mind.

He definitely wasn't going to get any shut eye tonight._  
_

-KH-

Sora woke the next morning from his restless slumber to the warm rays of the sun that lit up his face. Stirring, he slipped the covers off his body and swung his legs over the bedside. The floor was covered in beddings and even his pillow had found its way underneath him. His alarm clock and pictures had fallen from his beside table. _What the heck happened here?_ Before he could assume anything, the smell of pancakes infiltrated his room, turning his attention to the kitchen. His groaning stomach was all the motivation he needed and he stumbled down the stairs, not surprised to see his mom placing a stack of pancakes on a plate.

"Morning honey," his mother said cheerily. "Were you able to get enough sleep? It sounded like a twister rampaged through your room."

Sora nodded as he pulled out the chair and plopped down on the cushiony seat.

"I'm fine, mom. I was just having a rough day."

His mom smiled sweetly as she ruffled her son's hair, distracting him enough to steal a bite of his breakfast. "Are you going out again?" Sora replied with a quick nod. "Well, don't forget to be back before dark. I'm going to get my hair done today," she told him.

Sora quickly finished his breakfast and threw the plate into the sink. Racing back upstairs, he hustled out his sleepwear and threw on his more familiar red clothing and white vest. It was going to be too hot to wear black. He looked around his room and decided it would be best to clean up a little bit. Placing the clock on the table, he scooped up his bedsheets and tossed them onto the bed. After pronoucing his room clean, he threw open the windows and made his exit. With one quick slide down the metal pipes that ran along the house, he was off. Waving his hand through the window, he sent his mom a quick smile before racing for the pier.

Sora found his little rowboat where he last left it, right next to Riku's missing boat. He figured his friend had already made it to the little island, the still water indicating he had departed quite a while ago. Untying the rope that held his boat to the dock, Sora jumped in the water, tipping the side just enough for him to crawl aboard. Grabbing the oars, he rhythmically paddled.

The sound of the rippling waves lifted his spirits and he felt a little song swell in him. Recalling the sailing tunes he heard from Jack Sparrow, he erupted in laughter. Instead of singing about looting, treasure, and deck swabbing, all the lyrics referred to alcohol, taverns, and precious rum. Drinking songs were good for the heart, refreshed the body, and cleansed the mind. Wetting his whistle, Sora did his best Sparrow rendition.

_So bring me two piña coladas_

_One for each hand_

_Let's set sail with Captain Morgan_

_And never leave dry land_

_Troubles I forgot 'em_

_I buried 'em in the sand_

_So bring me two piña coladas_

_She said good-bye to her good timin' man_

Sora let the last note ring, knowing that the captain would have sang it better. Exhaling deeply, Sora felt the bottom of the boat dip into the wet sand, ushering it to a complete stop. Sora hopped out and unwound the rope to tie the vessel to the dock. Instead of meeting at the base of the paopu tree, he decided to make a quick stop.

Moving in stealth mode, he entered the secret cave that he and Kairi found when they were both younger. Actually, Kairi found it; Sora just happened to stumble upon it while playing hide-and-seek with Riku. He ran a hand along the side of dark tunnel, letting it lead him to the inner chamber. There was a ray of light that illuminated this part of the cavern. Sora walked around, noting the flowstones surrounding him and draperies that hung over head.

Usually, Sora had done most of his thinking in his sleep (which meant he didn't do much thinking). This cave, though, was where Kairi spent a lot her time looking at the pictures she and Sora drew of each other when they were little. A crooked smile formed on his lips as he glanced at his depiction of Kairi. It wasn't well drawn. The more times he saw it, the more he convinced himself it didn't look a thing like her. Kairi's hair was much fuller and she possessed a beauty that couldn't be described, let alone depicted. A little smile came to his mind as he pictured the girl in his mind. The first thing he always noticed were her lips. Sure, her eyes were striking and her red hair was unmistakable, yet those lips were what made her absolutely stunning. Her smile was to die for and everytime he saw it, made his heart skip a beat. He decided, she was much more beautiful happy and when she was laughing.

Sora fell on his butt; his eyes were pinned on the drawings. He just couldn't keep his mind of Kairi. He was hesitant to approach her and he hoped he would fare better in the presence of a horribly drawn picture. Scratching his head, he tried to focus.

"I have to get that kiss somehow," Sora confessed. _Oh man. Kairi will never forgive me for this._

Resting his head on his hand, the elaborations continued. "Asking her is just stupid. What about mistletoe? No, that wouldn't work. It's still six months before Christmas. I know. What if I have to give her CPR? That could definitely work."

Sora thought for a moment. Kairi lived on the island for as long as he could remember. Everyone knew how to swim. You have a better shot at finding someone who didn't like sea-salt ice cream than catch Kairi drowning. Sora sighed; this was going to be harder than he feared. He should have just chose 'truth'.

His emotions were in a bind. He liked Kairi; it was obvious by their friendship and he was the kind of guy who enjoyed the company of his friends. Though they got annoying and rowdy or sometimes even hardheaded, their company was loads of fun. With Kairi, though, he felt this friendship was on a _deeper_ level and there was a fine line he wished not to cross. He couldn't afford to lose her - not again, not after dying once. Or was it twice? Sora rubbed the spot where he stabbed himself with Riku's keyblade. That was one. Where was the other?

That's right, he was sleeping for a year. How could he have forgotten?

All that aside, friendship was good enough. There was no need to push it. He was content just to be around her.

Sora thought back to all the times he sought her counsel and, in retrospect, all the times she needed a shoulder to cry on. He couldn't tell you how many shirt changes he had gone through. Brushing the thoughts away, he knew he needed expert help. He needed to talk to Selphie. She was one of Kairi's closest female friends and, not to mention, the town gossip. News of all sorts, especially those that dealt with teenage romance was a favorite topic of hers. Assuming her portfolio was chalk full of varying experiences, Sora was hoping she'd have an answer to his dillema.

"Sora?" a voice called out to him in the darkness.

Sora's eyes grew wide and his heart began to pound in his chest. No one was supposed to be in here. This was a _secret_ cave for crying out loud! What was the point of it being secret if someone knew about it? Fighting the adrenaline in his body, Sora backed away slowly, stumbling as he came into contact with the wall. Of course, there had to be a dead end.

"Sora." The voice grew louder and he jumped out of his skin when a tender hand touched his arm.

"Relax, it's just me."

"Oh, it's only you," Sora gasped. He could clearly see her now and she was really close. He stepped aside, two extra steps for added measure. "You scared me for a second. I thought Heartless were attacking again."

"No, it's just me. Riku has been looking for you," Kairi stated. "He wants to talk to you."

"He's probably still mad…" Sora muttered under his breath.

"What was that?" Kairi asked as she pivoted in front of her friend and caught his eye.

"N-nothing. I was just thinking to myself."

"He told me you challenged him to a truth or dare contest and I heard from Selphie that she saw him running around the island without underwear on."

"Oh yeah. Haha." Sora laughed. "You should have seen _it_! On second thought, there wasn't much to see. But it was great. Oh man, you should have been there."

"I can imagine. I'm sure it was something," Kairi said as she shook her head. Her best friends acted like kids sometimes.

"This was the greatest idea I ever had. Man, I hope Selphie took pictures. That would make great for blackmail."

_Kids_. Kairi smiled at her friend's enthusiasm. For once, it sounded like he was winning. She hoped so. "So what did Riku dare you to do?"

"Huh? Oh, uh…um…I-I don't know actually," the brunette lied. "That's probably why he wants to talk to me, right? Right. Well, I better go. See ya later, Kairi."

Kairi furrowed her eyebrows, completely aware that something wasn't quite right. Unlike Riku, Sora wore his heart on his sleeve. When he was sad, he was sad. His joy was unmistakable. He had a genuine smile and a laugh that he couldn't fake. Sora had always been honest around her. She always hated when he resorted to lying. Just what is he hiding?

-KH-

"Man, there you are! Sheesh, I've been looking everywhere for you," Riku said as he came up beside his friend. A smirk graced his face and he nudged Sora's arm. "So, did you do _it_ yet?"

Sora shook his head, his eyes downcast. "I don't know how I'm going to do it. I just can't say 'hey Kairi. I'm going to kiss you now, ok? Close you eyes.' I don't think it works like that."

"Sure it does. Works for me all the time," Riku commented as he cracked his knuckles. "Who wouldn't want to kiss Riku, the epitome of all things manly and sexy?"

_Not to mention, "the king of running around naked" _Sora thought.

"The girls love me!"

Sora could only shake his head. "But I'm not like you. I could never do that. I can't do that."

"Sounds to me like you're chickening out, Sora. Just got for it."

"No. I never kissed a girl before. You know that. I'm pretty sure Kairi hasn't kissed a guy yet, either. I don't want to ruin her first kiss. Besides, she probably doesn't like me that way."

Riku rolled his eyes at his oblivious friend. There were tons of signals that indicated Kairi felt something more than just camaraderie towards Sora. Their talks on the beach, the bond they shared, the times Kairi went to Sora for advice. If those didn't cut it, Riku figured, his keyblade would. Maybe pounding some sense into the boy would do him some good.

"You're a nice guy Sora, you know that? And you know what they say about nice guys, right?"

Sora shrugged. "They have big feet?"

"They finish last! And you're going to finish last, _again_, until you get that kiss," Riku said as he slapped his friend on the back. "Good luck, lover boy."

-KH-

Sora trotted up the street and across the lawn that grew before Selphie's enormous yellow house. The lawn had been recently cut and tended to, the smell of fertilizer wafting in the air. Skipping up the porch steps, Sora rang the doorbell once and calmly waited until the door opened.

"Oh, hey Sora," a vibrant Selphie greeted as she threw open the door and embraced Sora in a bone crushing hug. "What brings you here?"

Sora rubbed his neck having forgotten Selphie's formal method of greeting. "I need your help."

"Is this about a girl?" she immediately asked.

_Figures. _Sora nodded halfheartedly.

"Well, come on in, spikey, and tell Selphie what's on your mind." She pivoted around Sora and eagerly ushered him inside, pushing him from behind. Throwing him into a chair, she situated herself across him, laying her cup of hot chocolate on the coffee table beside her.

"So, who's the lucky gal?"

"Uh...um-"

"-hold it," Selphie interrupted. "Let me guess!"

Sora shrugged. Selphie was kind of a hyper girl and Sora knew better than to get in her way.

Selphie glanced up at Sora's face and stared deep into his blue eyes. She tapped her chin, clearly in deep thought. "Hm...it's not me."

"Right."

"Shh..." she whispered, silencing him. She needed absolutely quiet to perform her task. "It's Kairi, isn't it?"

"..."

Selphie giggled as she saw a pink blush creep its way onto Sora's calm face, breaking his stoic concentration.

"I knew it! Ah, I love it when I'm right," she rejoiced. "Aww, Sora. You and Kairi would make such a _cute_ couple. That's nothing to be shy about."

Sora could only look on. Left utterly speechless, he listened as Selphie practically read his mind.

"I'm guessing you need me to help you get with her, right? This is going to be so much fun!" She rambled on and on about dating, gentlemen etiquette, the do's and don't-do's. For good measure, she even gave a sermon about the birds and the bees.

"Whoa! That's a bit too much info, Selphie. I just want to get a kiss."

Selphie frowned, disappointment written all over her face. "_Just_ a kiss, huh?"

"Is there something wrong with that? I heard you say something about kissing on the first date, right?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, second date actually. But Sora, I had bigger plans for you. You have so much potential. It's a waste to let it end on just a _simple_ kiss."

"Gee, I'm sorry Selphie," Sora said as he rubbed the back of his neck. "It was just a dare that Riku wanted me to do after I dared him to run around naked."

"Wait! That was you!?"

"Yeah."

"Well, why didn't you say that sooner!? Did you take pictures?"

"Actually, I was thinking you did since you, you know, normally look out for those kind of things."

Selphie dropped her head, knowing she had missed a golden opportunity. Riku was one desirable piece of meat and a picture of the silver haired hunk would have cemented her spot as the #1 gossip/rumor queen.

"Do you think you could get him to do it again?"

"Sorry Selphie," Sora answered. "I don't think he took it too well. Anyways, about my problem..."

"Say no more. I know just the thing." Selphie reached into her pocket and pulled out what seemed like a pair of tickets. "Movies."

"Movies? Like a d-date?"

"BINGO!"

* * *

So there you have it. We're going with the tried and true "ask her out to the movies" routine. Hopefully it works but if it doesn't prepare for the next chapter. Before I forget, I'm on Spring Break starting tomorrow. So yes, if your break coincides with mine, think of this as your Easter egg hunt hidden treasure prize. Chocolates for all!

Thanks again for reading!

_Rock out, party hard, live hardcore_


	3. Go Get Her, Tiger

Disclaimer still holds.

* * *

_-Chapter Three-_**  
Go Get Her, Tiger  
**

Movie tickets in hand, Sora hopped on the phone and quickly dialed Kairi's number. As the ringing continued, he felt his heart wanting to break out his chest and he wiped his sweaty palms on his pants.

"H-hello?" the voice on the other line answered.

"Hello, Kairi?" Sora responded.

"Oh, hey Sora! What's up?"

"Oh, uh…nothing much." He cleared his throat. He only had one chance to say this. Blowing it was not an option. "I just wanted to know if you wanted to catch a movie with me tomorrow night…if you're free, that is." He closed his eyes tight, preparing for the fateful blow. Fingers crossed, he hoped Kairi would say _yes_, if not, he hoped she'd be gentle. It got awfully quiet on the other line and Sora grew fearful. Was this the feeling of rejection? _Did I lose her?_

"What movie?" Kairi finally answered. Sora breathed a big sigh of relief. Thank goodness he didn't have to go through that again. His heart couldn't take it. Sora peered down at the tickets, surprised to find that they were for "The Crazies". Wasn't that supposed to be a horror film?

_Great_.

He scratched his head, wondering why Selphie had tickets to this movie. He figured she had set him up to watch "She's Out of My League." After all, it was the kind of movie people watched while on dates. It was oozing in romance, underwear jokes, and it was plain hilarious. That would have been the perfect movie.

"Uh...movie? 'The Crazies'," Sora hesitantly answered.

"I've been dying to see that!" Kairi enthusiastically responded. "All my friends said it was really good. Anyone else going?"

"Um…no. I only have two tickets. I was supposed to go with Riku but he said something about testing the gummi ship," he lied. So far, the plan had been working and everything was going smoothly. Selphie had prepared him well. She related to him some of Kairi's speaking habits and what she might say or ask. Then again, it also helped if you wrote down everything on a sheet or paper. All he had to do was read. It was fail proof.

"He's been working on that thing since forever," Kairi stated. "Remember the first time he said he was going to fix it? He ended up trashing it. I'm sure Chip and Dale would be furious if they saw the state it was in. I've been telling him to replace the thrust lever but, no, he insists on working on the exhaust system."

Sora froze, unsure how to respond. That wasn't in the script! How the heck did Kairi know anything about gummi ships? As a matter of fact, she knew more than he did. Guess that's what happens when Donald does all the driving. Thinking back, the last time he drove, they crashed into Tarzan's world.

"Hello? Sora? You still there?"

"Huh? What? Oh, sorry. I'm still here. I kinda dropped the phone."

"Oh. Haha. I hate when that happens."

"Me too."

"..."

"..."

"..."

_Screw it, this is going nowhere._

"Will you still be able to come?" Sora asked, breaking the awkward silence.

"Yeah. I'd love to go!"

"Sweet. I'll come get you at 6:30," he said, reading that particular line on his sheet of paper.

"Alright. Bye Sora."

"Bye."

Sora hung up the phone and pumped a fist in the air. He had done it! Sure, he had asked Kairi to accompany him to the movies, before, but Riku always tagged along. Finding the courage to "ask her out", he felt like he was flying.

He turned on his radio, bumping the volume up to dangerous levels. Switching on the mega bass that shook his window, he rolled into the cabbage patch, throwing in the occasional shoulder lean. Shaking his "groove thang" to Ludacris' _How Low Can You Go_, he was surprised to be able hear his mom yell at him from downstairs.

"KEEP IT DOWN, SORA! I'M TRYING TO WATCH GOSSIP GIRL!"

Sora turned off the music and fell back onto his bed, the adrenaline wearing off. The sun had already set and he felt tired. It had been quite a day. He was going on a "date" with Kairi tomorrow.

_BOOYAH!_

-KH-

The following morning, Sora skipped his daily routine of hitting the little island. Instead, he found his feet carrying him all the way to Selphie's house. Knocking on the door, he was immediately greeted by the hyper-active, yellow wearing girl and after another bone-crushing hug and a slap on the butt was he finally let into the house.

"So how'd it go last night?" Selphie asked, getting straight to the point.

"She said 'yes'."

"Awesome. Now, it's time for you to learn some general manners."

Sora bit down on his tongue, already confident in his ability to be a nice person. His mom taught him well. What else did he have to know?

"So, let's start with the basics."

Sora yawned as Selphie continued the lecture. He had forgotten at how much the girl could talk. Straightening in his chair, he twiddled his thumbs as she went over the rules. The only part of the talk Sora found interesting was the part dealing with how to read signals. He never knew that girls could communicate using looks, gestures, and body movements just as well as speaking. It baffled him and he thought back, wondering if Kairi used those signals on him. Knowing that a slap on the arm was a sign of affection, Sora discounted that. They were friends after all. He remembered that a few conversations they had would drift off into silence. What was she thinking then? Girls were _complicated_ sometimes.

"Got it?" Selphie asked as he wrapped up her speech.

"I think," he answered. He had zoned out most of the time but there was no need for Selphie to know.

"Good."

-KH-

Sora raced down the stairs, surprised to hear a knock on his door. He had just gotten out the shower, the disturbance preventing him from dressing himself. A towel was wrapped around his midsection as he unbolted the lock. To his surprise and misfortune, Selphie greeted him with a bunch of folded clothes draped around her arm.

"Oh, hi Sora," Selphie smiled widely. "Two naked guys in three days…"

"Yeah, yeah," Sora answered, swearing he saw Selphie's eyes beaming in delight. Nonchalantly, he stepped to the side and let the girl into his home. "I'll be right back."

He clamored up the staircase but a sudden call stopped him in his tracks.

"Wait!" Selphie interjected as Sora nearly fell forward. "Try these on first."

Holding her arm forward, Sora grabbed the hangers and with a quick nod, he was up the stairs and into his room. Laying the clothes on his bed, he sifted through the pile, surprised that they were all his size.

_How did Selphie get all these clothes? How did she know my size?  
_

Sora threw aside the pink shirt. He had enough clothing from the red hue section of the color wheel. There was a blue long sleeve buttoned up shirt that he liked and after stuffing that in his closet, he decided to try on the black shirt. Sliding it off the hanger, he tossed it over his shoulders, and slipped his arms into the sleeves. Buttoning up the shirt, he flipped down the collar. Next were the pants. This was going to be a tougher decision. All the pants were a dark blue color and he personally liked them all. Scratching his head, he threw on a pair. Looking himself over in the mirror, he thought he looked pretty dashing. There was just one thing missing. Looping his crown necklace over his neck, he glanced one last time at the mirror. Perfect.

He jogged down the stairs where a waiting Selphie would give him fashion tips. She looked him over making small adjustments here and there. Looking first at the hem of his pants, Selphie grabbed a belt and wrapped it around his waist.

"Can't be looking like a fool with your pants on the ground, Sora. I thought you didn't want it to go _that_ far," she winked.

He groaned as Selphie pulled up his pants. He hated wedgies.

Next came the shirt. She unhooked the first two buttons and spread the collar out revealing a small portion of his undershirt.

"Do you really need the necklace?"

"I guess. I've always worn it."

"Not for this night," she simply stated as she lifted the chain off his neck. "I'm sure you could survive a couple hours without it."

Sora pouted, missing the cold metal around his neck. He had never been without it except for sleeping and showering. It had always been around his neck and it was very much a part of him. Ironically enough, he couldn't remember where he got it from.

"You look great, Sora," Selphie complimented as she took a step back to admire her work. She had transformed Sora into a major heart throb and she was sure it would knock Kairi right off her feet. After all, she was Kairi's best female friend so that practically meant she knew what the redhead was thinking and what she wanted. "Good luck, Romeo."

"Thanks for your help, Selphie," Sora said as he slipped on his black shoes and headed towards the door.

"No problemo. Now, go get her, Tiger."

-KH-

Sora walked along the street, hands tucked into his pockets. The walk to Kairi's house wasn't that far since she only lived down the steet. However, it gave him enough time to sort out this thoughts. Anxiety was plaguing him like a rash and he pulled on his collar trying to escape the now intense heat. He walked slowly, reciting greetings in his mind, making a note to pronounce each word with precise clarity. He had to play it cool like a cat. He had to be buttery smooth. He had to be charming while being the perfect gentlemen. In short, he had to be that one guy from the Old Spice commercial. Sora sighed and for the first time in his life, he found himself jealous of that man. That voice, that charm, and those lines he said were a masterpiece. Pounding his fist on his forehead, Sora focused on emulating the greatest commerical he had ever seen in his life. But first, he had to figure out what to say. It didn't have to be on par with "I'm on a horse" but it had to come close.

He looked up ahead, surprised to find that he was standing directly in front of Kairi's door. He lifted a hand to knock but instantly pulled away. His nerves were at an all-time high and though he had knocked on Kairi's door a million times before, never had he the intention of "picking her up". Swallowing a lump that formed in his throat he took one deep breath before ringing the doorbell. A few moments passed and there was no answer. It felt like the house was empty and no light was shining through the windows. Sora furrowed his eyebrows, wondering if anyone was at home. He hoped he wasn't at the wrong place. Looking up, he found the house number. _7651. _This had to be it. Why wasn't anyone answering the door? Out of worry, he lifted a fist to knock but stopped halfway as he saw the doorknob turn, purple eyes looking at him.

Sora immediately flashed that cheesy smile of his and slipped his fist behind his back. Kairi had answered the door, much to his relief. On the other hand, he was this close to hitting her. Clearly his throat, he opened his mouth to say his greeting, but was quickly stopped as Kairi's words came first.

"Hey, Sora. Sorry about that. I was still dressing," she said with a small smile. Sora could only smile back, his eyes tracing the girl's outline. He noticed she wore a red top and long blue jeans. It had been a while since he had seen her with her legs covered. On school days, she wore a light blue skirt and long socks. The rest of the time she was in her usual attire - the pink dress looking thing that he couldn't name.

"It's alright. You could still continue dressing." Sora said as he glanced up at the hanging wall clock. He had gotten there a bit early. They still had some time to kill.

"Oh, no. I'm done already. I just have to put my shoes on." Kairi walked past Sora and grabbed her flip flops. Sora, once again, took notice. Kairi usually didn't wear flip flops, opting for shoes most of the time. He recalled that she used to complain about her toes getting cold. Whereas he and Riku ran barefoot half the time, Kairi's feet were covered. Disregarding the thought, he followed Kairi outside and waited on the lawn as she locked the front door.

"I'm ready now," Kairi said.

"I-Is that a new look?" Sora nervously asked. He remembered Selphie saying that girls loved compliments. Why not try using one now?

"No. Why? Is there something wrong?"

"No. You look great. I just...nevermind," he answered trying to shake off his embarassment. "It looks good on you."

Kairi smiled as she lifted her hands towards Sora's neck area. He felt his body temperature rise and he closed his eyes, fighting the hormones that were tormenting him. Kairi grabbed hold of his collar and pulled down sharply. Sora let out a little whelp. Kairi sure was _rough_. He slowly opened his eyes, finding that she was still fiddling around with his shirt. She refolded the collar, pressing her down on his chest slightly.

"Your tag was sticking out," she said with a smile. She straightened out the rest of his shirt. "Just so you know, you look great too."

Sora gushed at the compliment, unable to respond. Yeah, guys like compliments too.

They walked side by side, most of the time in silence. Without Riku there to stir up a conversation, there wasn't much to talk about. It gave Sora an uneasy feeling but the calm look on Kairi's face made him feel a bit more at ease. The threatre was in the middle of the town, located next to the giant shopping mall, the arcade, and city hall. The park and skatepark were just across the street.

"Hey Sora," Kairi spoke as she looked up at the sky. The sun was beginning to set. "Why do you think we don't look at the sunset together anymore?"

Sora shrugged. He had forgotten about that. As kids, they were permitted to stay out until dusk. To maximize their time together, they would sit on the porch and watch the sun go down. Riku hardly joined them, the bright colors hardly appealing to him. Until now, they hadn't reestablished it.

Kairi stopped, her attention turned fully on the sky above her. The streaks of red, orange, yellow, and pink filled the horizon like streamers. Sora, too, stopped but his attention was on something entirely different. He was looking at Kairi. With the sun setting behind her, and those warm colors all around her, Sora thought she was radiant. She looked like something out of a movie, the splendor of the sunset complimenting her natural elegance. He never before seen anything as beautiful. Kairi was pretty, though he never publically admitted it. To avoid confrontation, he often said that he and Kari were like brother and sister. Other times, he said they were just strictly friends. But if people saw him at that moment, gawking over the prettiest girl he had ever laid eyes on, they wouldn't let him live it down. Actually, the guys won't let him live, period.

Kairi giggled as she turned her focus towards her friend. "Sora, you're staring."

Sora shook his head, trying to regain his composure. Flustered, he turned away, motioning that everything was fine. "Come on, we better get going. We don't want to be late," he finally answered. He let Kairi walk ahead of him and he followed behind. He tried his best to clear his thoughts, but they just wouldn't go away. It was as if Kairi had her own personal space in his mind, and she didn't plan on leaving any time soon.

-KH-

They reached the movie theatre, unsurprised to find a long line that snaked around the entire building. Sora whistled silently, lucky that Selphie hooked him up. If she didn't, they'd be there until tomorrow morning. Cutting past some people, Sora reached the doorway and flashed the two tickets, permitting entrance. The worker ripped off the ticket stubs and pointed in the direction behind him as to which room the movie was showing.

Sora looked around the long hallway, reading the names of the films that were showing in each room. "Cop Out" was showing in the first room, with "Alice in Wonderland" across from it. Then there was "Repo Men" and "She's Out of My League."

"'She's Out of My League,' huh?" He turned around and saw Kairi standing right behind him. His mood dampened. "She _is_, isn't she?" Here he was attending a movie with his best friend who happened to the most beautiful person he had ever seen in his life. Not only that, she had a great sense of humor, outgoing, cheerful, and was strong-willed. He was just your average male teen. He wasn't very popular; the majority of his friends resided in different worlds. It wasn't going to work.

"We really lucked out, Sora," Kairi said as she looked up at the movie posters. "Good thing you got the tickets early. That line didn't seem like it was moving."

Sora nodded in agreement. Also, the interior of the building seemed rather vacant. There was no one roaming the halls and even the small arcade was empty. Sora's eyes grew wide in sudden realization. If no one was here, then that meant...

Breaking into a sprint, he took off, letting his nose guide the way.

"Wait, Sora where are you going?" Kairi called.

"I'm going to get some popcorn," Sora said between breaths. "Want anything?"

"Popcorn sounds good."

Just as he thought, the snack bar was empty. He approached the counter, laying out his wish list. "I'll take an extra-large popcorn, nachos, a hotdog, a box of gummy worms - make that two boxes of gummy worms - and a large coke."

The cashier turned to scoop up some popcorn into a large container and raced over to grab the nachos. Laying those down, he picked up a box and threw the hotdogs and gummy worms inside. To finish up, he filled a large cup with soda and threw the lid on top.

"That was quick," Kairi said as she pulled up next to Sora. "Did you get me popcorn?"

"Yeah. I got it extra-large so we could share."

"What about the drink?"

Sora stopped for a second. "You wanted a drink? Oops. I got a large coke. We could just share that."

"Ok. Let me get a straw then." Kairi reached around, looking for the straws but couldn't find any. "Excuse me," she said getting the cashier's attention. "Do you guys have any straws?"

The man turned around and walked into the stock room. Moments later, he came back shaking his head.

"I'm really sorry but we're out," he said turning to Sora and giving him a quick wink.

Sora instantly blushed, hoping Kairi didn't catch any of that. Hoping to pacify the girl, he hoped his solution would be taken in good faith.

"It's alright, Kairi. We could share. It's not like any of us are sick anyways, right?" He punctuated his remark with his cheesy smile to which Kairi let out a small giggle.

"I guess we're sharing everything tonight, huh?"

Sora nodded. "It's not the only thing I wish to share tonight," he muttered underneath his breath.

Kairi grabbed the box of goodies and followed Sora into the room. The movie was just beginning the start; the credits were winding down. Sora peered into the darkness, his eyes somehow able to pinpoint two seats directly in the middle.

"Come on," Sora whispered as he grabbed hold of Kairi's wrist. "I found a spot."

He stepped aside letting her slide into the row. Holding her waist for support, he guided her to the exact spot. As they took their seats, Sora placed the popcorn on his lap and situated the drink between them. He had chosen a great spot. He could see the screen perfectly without straining his eyes or his neck. Let's start the movie.

-KH-

Sora came out the room in high spirits. Though the film was supposed to be a scary movie, it didn't come close to scaring his pants off. He had seen scarier stuff fighting Heartless. Their bulging yellow eyes and weird body movements were pretty frightening when he thought about it. Throw those guys in the next Saw movie and nobody would be sleeping for a whole month!

"So what did you think, Sora?" Kairi asked.

"I don't really know," he answered as he opened the door and let Kairi pass. "It wasn't really scary for me."

"Really? I thought some parts were scary. You know, guys popping out from behind corners. A couple times, I thought my heart was going to leap out of my chest."

"Yeah. I guess I kind of got used to it." Unlike monsters from the movies, Heartless came out of thin air. There was no telling when they'd show up. There was no dramatic music, no out-of-place signs or omniscient aura. "I hope you weren't too scared."

"It wasn't too scary," Kairi said. "I've seen scaries movies like "The Exorcist", remember? We saw that with Riku, Tidus, Selphie, and Wakka."

"I remember that! Selphie couldn't sleep for a week. But she was always like that. Remember "Scary Movie"? Everyone was laughing the whole time while she was buried underneath the blankets."

"'Scary Movie' was stupid at some parts. I don't know, I consider it more of a humor film than anything else."

"Yeah. Me too."

Their laughter died down as they realized they had reached Kairi's front yard.

"Well, thanks for everything Sora," Kairi said as she embraced him in a warm hug. "I had a great time."

Sora smiled, feeling a slight blush cross his face. He had hugged Kairi before but not after a "date". He led up her to her porch and waited until she entered the house and closed the door behind her. No kiss. Drat. Sora sighed as he slipped his hands into his pockets, readying himself for the trek home. It was late already and he wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed (and dream of Kairi, of course). As he started to walk away, he heard the door behind him open.

"Sora."

He turned around wondering what Kairi was up to.

"Do you want to watch the sunset tomorrow for old times' sake?"

Sora smiled as he nodded his head. "I'd love to."

* * *

I really hate how fanfiction changed their ad blocking policy.

Thanks to **Redeeming Endeavor **for the movie suggestion.

Release the Kraken!!!**  
**

_Rock out, party hard, live hardcore_


	4. Shakespeare and Sunsets

_-Chapter Four-_**  
Shakespeare and Sunsets  
**

Sora laid beneath the shade of the paopu tree, head resting on his arms. His eyelids were shut and his gentle breathing was in rhythm with the breeze. He would have been asleep if not for the squawking seagulls flying overhead or the faint steps of someone approaching. Once again, his nap was foiled, ruined, destroyed, tarnished.

_Would it kill me to get some sleep around here?_

"Yo," a voice greeted – a male voice.

Sora furrowed his eyebrows a bit, expecting a more soprano-like sound. On the register, the voice was more baritone than anything else. There was a slight hint of bass which easily could be overlooked. Sora shook his head. It wasn't Wakka. Could it be Tidus? Sora looked up, his eyes pinpointing the silver hair and green eyes. _Riku_. He should have known.

"What do you want?" Irritation was high and the urge to pummel the intruder was tempting. Yet, the sand was quite warm and Sora had already sprawled into a comfortable position. It'd be a waste to get up now.

"I just came to ask about last night." Riku answered. "I heard you were getting _busy_."

"Last night? What happened last night?" Sora asked, trying to keep a straight face. It was harder than he thought with his mind was being bombarded by images of Kairi. His lip twitched but he bit down on it hard before it erupted into a grin.

"That's what I'm asking you. Why don't you tell me?" There was a slight smirk on Riku's expectant face. "So...?"

"No, it's alright. I'll just keep it to myself," Sora answered. He found it hard to keep a straight face; he was never one to mask his emotions well.

"You didn't get the kiss?"

"…"

Riku's tiny smirk widened into a full blown smile as silence revealed the answer. Sora didn't get the kiss. He chickened out.

"I didn't get it," Sora finally answered, satisfying his friend's premonition. "I got a hug though."

Riku shook his head. "Sorry Sora, hugs don't count for anything."

"I know. You're not supposed to kiss on the first date anyways, right?"

Riku's eye twitched at his _blasphemy_. That was absurd! Of all the dates he had been on, it had _always_ ended with a kiss. He was the master at running those so-called bases. First base was a kiss and Riku prided himself on stealing multiple bases at the same time. Umpires couldn't keep up with him! He'd be at home plate by now but he wasn't a commitment-type guy.

"Who on earth said that!?"

"Selphie."

"Selphie?" Riku seethed. That girl should have known better! Didn't those romance novels teach her anything? He shook his head in disbelief. Looks like he was going to have to pay his dear friend a visit.

"Hey Riku. Where are you going? I thought we were going fishing?"

"Oh, don't worry about it. Just focus on getting that kiss."

Riku looked down at the sand for a brief moment, collecting his thoughts. Something was going on here. Either Selphie was doing something, or by sheer luck, Sora had some game. He laughed off the latter; Sora wasn't a ladies man.

-KH-

Riku trudged up the street to Selphie's house, his muscular calves bulging out with every step he took up the inclined slope. His gloved hands were balled in a fist, and for added effect, he donned his black robe. He was determined to resolve this blasphemy and pay back Selphie for embarrassing him. It was time to lay down the law!

Riku finally came up to the house and knocked loudly on the door. He waited for a few moments before knocking again, clearly aware that Selphie never answered on the first knock. True to form, the door swung open, the yellow wearing brunette standing across from him.

"Hey Riku!" Selphie greeted. Immediately, she sprung forward to embrace the silver haired hunk that God had sent to her doorstep. However, Riku simply stepped aside and let himself in, leaving the poor girl sprawled out, face down on the doormat.

Riku took a seat on the couch and waited for Selphie to join him. He reclined back, his hands folded neatly in front of him. Propping his feet up on the coffee table, he watched as Selphie plopped herself on the couch right next to him.

"No hug, Riku?" the dejected girl asked. She frowned and Riku could have sworn he saw a tear welling in her eye.

Riku shook his head.

"Can't say I tried," Selphie muttered in defeat, dropping her hands on her lap. "So what can I do you in for? Did Sora send you here so I could get pictures?" She eyed him wantingly, checking him out.

_God, he's so HAWT!_

Her hands found the zipper to his robe and she slowly unzipped it revealing his white sleeveless vest and blue jeans. Riku just plainly sat there, gently tapping away Selphie's fingers as she sought to undo his vest.

"Um...Selphie?"

"Yes, Riku," the girl answered softly, alluringly. She placed one hand on his chest and cupped his face with her other hand.

"I'd like to keep my vest on if that's alright with you." He punctuated his request with a small smile, the same one he used whenever he wanted something. He wasn't in the mood to take off his clothes again. In fact, that was a memory he'd like to forget.

Selphie dropped her hand placing it one last time on Riku's vest zipper. She teasingly tugged on it and felt a rush of excitement when Riku caught her wrists. He shook his head, warning her. He would bite back if needed. A sensual smile formed on the girl's lips and she moved in closer, their body inches apart. Cat-like, she sprung, arms stretched out ready to clamp down on her prize. But once again, she only drew air and as she found herself falling, feeling a strong tug break her momentum.

Opening her eyes, she found the floor underneath her and an arm coiled around her petite waist. Riku sighed as he helped the girl to her feet, laying her lightly back on the couch. Her arms tightened around his neck and he fought off her advances, using his hip to pin her down.

"Ow, Riku," Selphie purred. "You're _rough_."

Riku smirked. Grabbing both her hands and using some kind of hold, he bound her. Selphie let out a little yelp. She couldn't move.

"Are you done now?" he asked, his breaths tickling her ear.

Selphie shivered and she turned her head around, nipping for Riku's lips.

"Sorry Selphie but this is strictly business." He spun her around, nudging her into a seat.

_What do you think I'm doing? _she thought. "Geez, Riku. You end it so fast," the girl moaned as she straightened her dress. "Anyways what can I do for you?"

"Do you know what's going on with Sora?"

"What do you mean? Are he and Kairi going out yet? Where's my camera!? Did they kiss yet?"

"No."

"Oh," Selphie sighed.

Riku shrugged. "You are aware that Sora and I are involved in a game..."

"Yeah. Truth or dare. That is such a kiddie game! Spin the bottle is so much better."

"You know?"

"Yeah. Truth or dare? Ha, Sora told me when he came by a couple days ago. He asked me to help him."

Riku smiled. He got what he wanted to know. Selphie had been helping Sora all along. No wonder.

"Why are you helping him?" he demanded.

"So what if I am? It's all in the name of love and loves has it that Sora and Kairi would make a cute couple."

"You've been saying that since kindergarten."

"It's a skill," Selphie said, gushing with pride. She had an eye for this type of stuff. Who was the one who set up Tidus with Yuna anyways? "Riku?"

The albino haired teen quirked his eyebrows, "What is it?"

"Do you not want Sora and Kairi to get together?" Her voice was more solemn and calm now which was a polar opposite from her usual manner. Riku had remembered seeing this once, the night he turned her down to the dance. What could he say, dances weren't his thing.

"Trust me, I do. That's kind of why I dared him," Riku said with a smile. "The other half was me wanting to win. I know Sora doesn't have the guts to actually approach Kairi and kiss her just like that. It's funny to see him struggle."

"You know, Kairi told me that she's going to watch the sunset with him today."

Riku turned his head towards Selphie in total surprise. They haven't watched the sunset together since they were kids. Personally, Riku hardly joined them but it was a tradition that he knew about. They'd go to the dock and watch the sun sinking below the horizon, streaks of pink, yellow, red, and orange lighting up the sky above them.

"I think today might be the day!" Selphie rejoiced. There were stars in her eyes; the thought of a new budding romance was too good to pass up. She _needed_ to take pictures.

"I don't think so," Riku quipped.

Selphie's enthusiasm crashed at that moment, her eyes ablaze with fire. "What are you talking about? Watching the sunset is so romantic. It's perfect. The binding of their love through the once broken chain of their childhood routine, Shakespeare couldn't have written it any better!"

Selphie sprung to feet, the excitement growing within her. She raced for the camera and after unplugging it, she changed lenses, pulling out her trusty EF 180mm f/3.5L Macro USM. This bad boy allowed her to take pictures from 1.57 ft. to infinity in crystal clear high definition.

"See ya, Riku! I'm going to get pictures of Sora and Kairi."

Riku sat there, dumbfounded. This girl is crazy! What the heck did Shakespeare have to do with sunsets?

-KH-

Sora took a seat on the wooden pier, his legs dangling off the edge. His reclined back, shifting his weight to his palms to hold him up. It would be dusk soon. He looked around; there was still no sign of the girl yet. Perhaps he had gotten here too early. He sat tight, his uneasiness making him restless. _Where is she?_ Sora ran a hand through his hair. The last time Sora sat here, he was talking to Kairi about taking the raft which he proudly called "The Raft" and leaving the island together. No Riku, no family members, no friends, just them. The memory brought a smile to his face. It was the last time he won a race against Riku. Not only did he get the opportunity to name the raft, he even got to present a paopu fruit to Kairi. Coincidentally, it was also the last time he watched the sunset.

He sighed. After all this time, nothing had changed.

The sound of footsteps knocking on the planks broke his thoughts and he turned around, surprised to find Kairi behind him.

"Aww darn. I wanted to scare you too," the girl whined as she took a seat beside him.

"Sorry, Kairi but sneaking up on me doesn't work anymore." It was true. After fighting Heartless and those slippery Nobodies, Sora had made it a habit to watch his six. His practically had eyes in the back of his head and his spikes served as giant antennas. "Nothing takes me by surprise."

At that moment, Kairi scooted closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder.

_Except that. _That was a shocker.

Sora instinctively held his breath, fearing any sudden movements would startle her. The last thing he wanted was Kairi to leave his side. He turned his head slightly, catching a glimpse of red hair that hung from his arm. Immediately, his face turned red and he tensed.

"Wow! Look Sora," Kairi pointed out, shattering the tense atmosphere. Sora traced her outstretched arm to the sky and was suddenly captured by Nature's painting. It was absolutely breath taking and Sora found himself unable to exhale. His shoulders relaxed, his worried expression giving way to childlike astonishment.

"Yeah. I've never it this beautiful before," Sora responded. It was the second most beautiful thing he had ever seen - second to the girl beside him, mind you.

-KH-

"I was _so_ right!" a voiced cheered. Excitement swelled in her and she raised her camera to take pictures.

"What are you doing?"

Selphie shrieked as she fell out of the palm tree, the hard ground unable to break her fall. Glancing upwards, she noticed green eyes staring down at her and a smirk that could only belong to one person.

"RIKU!?"

"Shh...keep it down," the teen reprimanded. "They'll hear you!"

Selphie pouted as she stood up and wiped the dust off her behind. Luckily her camera wasn't destroyed and she shoved it into Riku's arms. "Take a look see."

Riku shrugged as he peered at the screen at a picture of Sora and Kairi together. He chuckled at bit, noticing the pink streaks blatantly obvious on his friend's face. It was absolutely pitiful.

"See, I told you that'd make a good couple," Selphie commented as she flashed a victorious smile. "They might be the _cutest_ couple ever."

Riku tossed back the camera, a smug expression on his face. "You have one shot left."

"I know. I didn't think _Tuna_ would take up all my shots."

"Tuna?"

"You know...Tidus and Yuna."

Riku fought to contain his laughter. He fake coughed and tried to clear his throat.

No good.

He exploded into a hysterical fit. That had to be the funniest name ever._  
_

"Hey! Don't laugh," the girl retorted. "For you information, Riku, I have a rather good name for Sora and Kairi."

"Yeah? Does it involve more species of fish?"

"No, unless _SoKai_ is the name of an unidentified swimming object…" She stuck out her tongue, knowing Riku didn't have a comeback for that one. It had taken her 12 years to create and an extra six months to copyright. That's right! SoKai was _registered_ under the Selphie Tilmitt name.

But enought of that for now. There were more important things to take care of. Selphie looked through the lens, her lips curved upwards in a devilish smile. All hell would break loose once she got the picture of their first kiss. Trigger finger twitching over the button, she eagerly waited.

"Done yet?" Riku asked, breaking the girl's concentration.

"Shut up," Selphie answered. Gosh, Riku was getting annoying now. After shooting him a scary face, she turned her attention back to the couple, fighting the urge to use her last exposure. _I have to get the shot_. She bit her lip to avoid letting a squeal leave her mouth when Kairi looped her arm around Sora's arm and pointed upwards. Apparently a shooting star blazed overhead and Selphie wished they'd get to the kiss already. It wasn't that hard! Another opportunity passed as Kairi playfully slapped Sora, probably for saying something stupid. A playful smile was on the boy's face as a slightly flustered red head chased him around the beach.

Selphie began to grow impatient. All this flirting was killing her, yet she was giddy. Talk about cuteness overload! She was on the verge of erupting; the mushiness building within her. This was exactly why she loved doing this. The intensity of a first love, the pure thoughts and feelings, and the personal satisfaction she felt when word broke out was inspiration enough. _True_ love was hard to come by, yet Selphie had managed to document it through rumors and pictures. This was going on her wall, right next to the Tuna pictures.

Her eyes grew wide the moment Kairi and Sora's body inched closer. Selphie gasped realizing that this was it. _This was it_!

"Come on. Come on. Come on," she egged. "Come to mommy."

Her soft but ardent whispers woke Riku from his little nap and he immediately caught sight of Selphie's finger circling, vulture-like, over the camera button. At that moment, he knew something big was bound to happen.

Selphie held her breath. It was the moment of truth now. It was _her_ moment! Eyes intent, she watched as their bodies drew closer, their heads only inches away. A smile dressed both their faces. They closed the gap and Selphie suddenly fired, her senses swept up in the moment. She let out a triumphant yell as she heard the shutter flicker. She got it! The picture of a lifetime was hers.

Slipping the strap off her neck, she rushed towards Riku and showed him the picture. He could only laugh hysterically.

"What's wrong?" she asked, pulling the camera towards her. She looked down at the picture, a wave of disbelief washing over her. It was just a hug!

She hung her head in defeat. She was out of film, out of patience, and out of the moment.

"You have to be kidding me..."

Riku sighed as he patted his friend on the shoulder. "Next time."

He turned away, an ominous glint shone in his eye.

_I told you so._

_

* * *

_

I'm dedicating this chapter to **chickenman00712**. Good luck with the army.

_Rock out, party hard, live hardcore__  
_


	5. Hellooooooo, Nurse!

-_Chapter Five-  
_**Hellooooooo, Nurse!**

Sora and Riku stood apart, keyblades shining in the mid-morning sun. Sweat drenched each boy and their loud huffs indicated exhaustion. Sora blinked once, his head swirling and he felt a faint spell coming on. He was lightheaded and the more he moved around, the worse he felt. In comparison to other boy, Sora looked more sluggish and tired. He felt his strength was leaving him.

"Hey Sora, you alright?" Riku asked, waving his hand in front of Sora's face. "Don't tell me you're beat already." His keyblade was resting over his shoulder, eyes glowing in victory.

Sora shook his head, fighting the succumbing dizziness. His vision had gotten blurry and for a split second, he counted two Rikus. That surely could account for why he was always losing. But then again, feeling like wanting to throw up was just as bad. Sora stretched out a hand, signaling he was fine. For now, he just needed to catch his breath. Riku's last attack had thumped him on the noggin. There was going to be a bump tomorrow, for certain. He bent over and rested his hands on his knees, taking in large heaves of air that was accompanied by an ocassional cough.

"I think we'd better call it day, huh?," Riku recommended. He threw Sora's arm around his shoulder and lowered him down on the sand. Sora reached for his water bottle that was beside him and took a big gulp.

It had been an hour since they began their battle, a little practice time to keep their instincts sharp. The keyblade had both called them for some purpose. They figured as long as the weapon was in their possession, they had a duty to fulfill. It wouldn't be right to slack off now and let their strength leave. Besides, they didn't want to lose their guns. Riku had more reason to wear vests regularly. He didn't want to brag, but he had to let his pythons out of the cage. Sora, on the other hand, wasn't as developed. Riku compared him to a pistol, equipped with a silencer.

Sora coughed, water shooting out from his mouth.

He felt sick.

The hot water burned his throat.

His eyes were watery.

His head hurt.

"Riku, I think I'm going to head home," Sora found himself saying. "I don't feel too good."

"Alright man, I'll catch you later."

Sora struggled to his feet, using his keyblade as a pole to raise himself. He dragged his feet in the sand as he walked towards the boat. He was using all the strength in his body to keep him upright and his legs felt like dead weight. His movements were uncoordinated as if he was drunk. Trying to walk straight proved harder than it looked and Sora looked in horrid condition. Before he could reach his boat, dizziness overcame him and he staggered to the ground. His body had given way. From behind, Riku quickly caught him in mid-fall.

_So much for later_ Riku thought. Collecting his strength, he lifted Sora up into the rowboat and picked up the two oars. It was dangerous to have Sora paddle his way home and even though this boat was traditionally for one person, he couldn't risk his friend falling to seasickness.

Sora groaned as the sun beat down on his face. He couldn't remember the last time he felt this washed up. He had no stamina today, his energy zapped from the past days. His mind was in a whirl. The thoughts of Kairi bombarded his mind harder than Riku walloping at his body with a keyblade. Nights felt long and his sleep was constantly interrupted. Just this morning he had woken up with a runny nose and he had to hold in his sneezes so his mom wouldn't keep him in the house. It looked like he'd be stuck at home for a while now.

Riku paddled as gentle as he could to accomodate his ailing friend. It was downright uncomfortable and difficult. He was sitting Indian style and his back was pressed against the nose of the boat. Every motion was met with resistance so rowing became a chore. His movements were limited and his strokes were, consequently, small. They're weren't going anywhere anytime soon.

"Hang with me, Sora," Riku softly said, hoping to take the brunette's mind off his ailment. He was looking really pale and he figured Sora

"Are we almost on land?" the brunette asked. His voice sounded raspy, a clear sign of a dry throat. Sora was on the verge of dehydration. With only salt water around, he had nothing to replenish his lost fluids. It wouldn't be surprising if he felt like a strip of bacon openly frying in a pan.

Riku shook his head.

"How far are we, then?"

Riku kept his gaze forward, his eyes searching for the coastline. "We're not too far away."

They finally reached land after ten minutes. The sound of the boat digging into the sand was welcoming to hear, their ears tired of hearing only waves. Riku lifted Sora to his feet, supporting him from the waist up.

The trick would be getting him home.

-KH-

Riku dragged Sora up the wooden porch to the house, satisfied that they had made it up the decline. He was feeling short of breath now but the welcoming sight of Sora's two-story house was good to see. Curling his fingers and making a fist, he pounded on the door until Sora's mom answered.

"Riku?" she asked, wondering what the boy was doing here. Sora had left for the little island a long time ago.

"Hi," the boy breathed out as he pulled Sora into the house and slung him on the nearest couch. He reclined into one of the seats and wiped the dripping sweat from his brow.

"Oh goodness! What happened to him? It looks like he was getting killed out there," Sora's mom said, with a slight tone of surprise in her voice. She knew all about the rough housing, rowdyness, and careless antics of the two boys but never before had one come back looking like he had gone through the Underworld. Clearly an understatement, but no need to bring it up.

"I don't really know," Riku honestly answered. "He told me he wasn't feeling well and then he almost collapsed."

Mrs. Hikari sat beside her son and placed her palm on his head. He was burning and hot skin made it seem like he was running through fire! She turned to Riku and told him to bring a bucket of cold water and a rag. While the boy ventured into the kitchen, she slipped off Sora's wet t-shirt and reached for medication. Propping up Sora's head, she parted his lips and slowly let the bitter tasting fluid slide down his throat. A hoarse cough and a weak groan was Sora's only response.

Riku finally came back with a bucket of cold water and a rag that fell over his shoulders. Soaking it water, he handed it to Sora's mom who pressed it to her son's forehead. She wiped the sweat from his face and neck, hoping to drop his temperature.

"Riku, can you get Sora up the stairs and into his bed for me?" she asked. This was really, really untimely. She had a business meeting in thirty minutes that she could not afford to miss. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity to share the same room with Cid Enterprises, not to mention map out a tremendous deal that would allow a new gummi ship airport/hangar to be built on the island. This would open up new communications between worlds and would give Sora and Riku access to every single world they had visited.

Riku came trotting down the stairs, nodding that he had Sora tucked in bed already. The only thing needed was a bedtime story and a goodnight kiss, two things Riku didn't plan on doing.

"Shessh, Mrs. Hikari," he joked, "I think Sora needs to lay off the beef for a while." He rubbed his lower back to prove his point.

"Thank you, Riku," she smiled. "But Sora wasn't one to eat his vegetables, remember?"

Riku rolled his eyes.

"Anyways, I have to get to work now. Big meeting today."

"With Cid?"

"Oh yeah. I've been planning this little shindig for months now. That Cid drives a hard bargain sometimes but thankfully he agreed."

Riku chuckled. "Just go easy on 'im. He's a genius with computers, but his people skills are kind of lacking."

"Right. Well, I'll see you later, Riku. If Sora wakes up, be sure to call me."

"Hey-whoa. Wait a sec. I can't stay either. I have to get my boat back! You know how the coast guards are. I can't afford to have my boat towed away again."

Mrs. Hikari laughed as she brushed past Riku and grabbed the phone. "I'll just call Kairi then."

Behind her, a smile formed on Riku's lips and for the first time today, things were finally looking up.

_This was going to be gold!_

-KH-

Sora stirred as he awoke, surrounded completely in darkness. Immediately, he sprang up to his feet, the fears of getting captured in darkness replaying in his mind again. He wouldn't know if Kairi would be there again to grab his hand and bring him back to the world of light. However, his blanket was tied around his ankles and he fell with a loud thud on the wooden floor.

"SORA!!"

The teen lifted his head towards the creaking door. Fear was growing in his eyes, for he thought he was alone. If someone was here, that could only mean that _he_ was coming for him. No! It couldn't be. He couldn't still be alive, right?

The door opened suddenly, the light from outside pouring into the room, blinding Sora instantly.

"XEMNAS!!!"

Sora closed shut his eyes, the brightness was burning. Worst of all, he felt like he was shaking from a violent earthquake. His ears were filled with someone calling his name, the loud cries amplified by his inability to regain his composure, and when he opened his eyes, he swore he had gone blind. He felt hands around his shoulders, struggling to still him. Yet, he could only thrash about. He pushed forward, tackling _Xemnas _to the ground. Once his vision returned the first sight he saw was the color red upon his wooden floor.

"KAIRI!!!" Sora gasped as he found the girl underneath him. Embarassment overrode his shock and he jumped back, showing the first sign of his returning strength. His face was red and it definitely wasn't from the fever.

"Sora, are you alright?" Kairi worriedly asked. "I heard something fall."

By now, light had penetrated the deepest recesses of the dark room. Sora was able to see his surroundings clearly now: the four walls, the floor under him, a damp rag, and his _bed_.

"Sorry about that, Kairi. I thought the darkness had captured me again. I thought _Xemnas_ was coming back for me."

Kairi giggled as she saw the blankets snaked around Sora's legs and the bed slanted off-center. Using skillful reasoning, it wasn't hard to figure that Sora was restless in bed. She sighed as she stood to her feet and wiped the dust from her clothing. Sora crawled back under the covers and rested his head on the pillow. He had gotten riled up over nothing. Glancing to his left, his clocked showed it was nearly 8 o'clock, just in time for his next dose of medicine.

Right on cue, Kairi produced a metal spoon with red gooey liquid on it. Sora shut his mouth tight, knowing how bad medication tasted. Cherry flavored cough syrup didn't taste like cherry. Grape wasn't grape at all and don't even get me started on orange. Sora shook his head as the metal spoon came closer to his face.

"Alright, Sora. Open up," Kairi instructed.

Sora shook his head once again.

"Oh come on! It's not even that bad. Sora, how are you supposed to get better if you don't take your medicine?"

Kairi sighed as she withdrew the spoon. She had to think of a different approach. Maybe a little trickery could work.

Sora's eyes grew wide as a teasing smile caressed Kairi's face. Trouble was sure to follow. Whenever Kairi got a wild idea, the results were never pretty. Her stubbornness sometimes got the best of her and she wouldn't back down. He shrunk back into his pillow as Kairi came forward, her lips inches from his face.

"Here comes the plane."

"Hey! I resent that- AHHH!!!!! Get me water. It burns!! This doesn't taste like cherry!" His face was scrunched up and he fought the sudden urge to vomit. The sticky residue left his mouth dry and the bitter aftertaste wouldn't leave despite the large gulps of water he was chugging down.

As he finished washing down the medicine with water, he reclined back in bed. He hated being sick!

Closing his eyes, Kairi placed a hand over his forehead. His temperature had dropped compared to hours before. He wasn't burning intensely anymore. Her soft touch was replaced by the cool damp rag and Sora couldn't help but shiver as Kairi wiped the beads of sweat that trailed down his face and neck.

The cool sensation felt like paradise to him. It was very refreshing and it didn't hurt that Kairi was being really gentle. Sora smiled as he turned his head to the side so Kairi could finish up the right part of his face. _Nurse Kairi had a nice ring to it._

"Sora?"

"Hm..."

"You mom called about an hour ago. She said she was going to be out a little longer than usual."

"Oh, okay. That's fine."

"Yeah, so if you need anything just tell me. I'm sleeping over so, you know. I can't leave you here by yourself now, can I?"

Sora chuckled as he nestled into the covers. Kairi hadn't slept over at his house since...forever. And that was a while ago. No doubt, she would sleep in the guest room which was down the hall, but still, it was like he was reliving his childhood. First the sunset and now a sleepover! Too bad he had the hots for the girl that was warmer than his fever of 103. Any hotter and he'd have symptoms of lovesickness.

He yawned deeply, signalling that he was on the verge of falling asleep. His eyeslids were feeling very heavy and before he dozed off, he caught one final glance at the girl sitting beside him.

Kairi smiled as she watched her friend drift off. He stirred quite a bit as he unconsciously shifted into a more comfortable position. She ran a hand through his spiky hair and gently massaged his scalp, calming him. It worked instantly as Sora snuggled closer towards her and within minutes, he was knocked out cold, his body moving rhythmically with his breathing.

Kairi turned her head in the direction of the clock and realized it was already late. She was getting tired as well and watching Sora sleep made her want to curl up beside him. As she caressed Sora's cheek, she bade him a 'good night' and walked over to her room. Hopefully, he'd be feeling better by tomorrow.

_

* * *

_

Dang man, this chapter was weak as heck. Hopefully this won't leave such a bitter taste in your mouth cause I'm still chugging on the mouth wash.

_Rock out, party hard, live hardcore  
_


	6. Cold

-_Chapter Six_-  
**Cold  
**

The following morning was met with much delight and a lot of teasing. Upon waking, Sora found himself back to normal and at full strength. His cold was gone...even though his temperature was triple digits. It was times like these where he could take on a plethora of Heartless without growing faint and he'd never felt better, bolder, faster, stronger. He was on top of the world! It wasn't until he came downstairs that he came crashing back down to earth, or whatever world he resided in.

Kairi was sitting at the table with a plate full of bacon, eggs, and sliced apples before her. Apparently, she stayed over for breakfast and, was always, a welcoming sight to see. She was wearing a smile on her face, chatting it up with Mrs. Hikari as if she were family. Both girls shared laughs and Sora scratched his nose, knowing they were talking about him.

"What do you mean '_you did nothing_'?" Mrs. Hikari asked as she sliced open a loaf with her knife. "Nothing happened last night when it was just the _two_ of you here?"

"I'm serious. I didn't do anything at all." Kairi responded innocently with a light smile.

"So you mean to tell me that, somehow, last night, Sora's fever dropped back down to normal. By no means is Sora a light sleeper. That boy tosses and turns as if he was still fighting Heartless. Did you know that he sleeps with his Ultima keyblade?"

"No, it's actually the Oathkeeper," Sora mumbled from behind the wall. "I only use the Ultima keyblade for fighting!"

"Oh?" Kairi giggled as thoughts of a sleeping Sora filled her mind. It was indeed a funny image.

"Yeah. What ever you did, it seemed to work."

"But I didn't do anything! I'm not lying. I just gave him some medicine and..."

"_And?_"

"Oh...n-nothing. Mrs. Hikairi, could you pass the butter?" Kairi asked, hoping the subject would shift. All she did was lay in bed with Sora until the guy fell asleep, for crying out loud. _Get off my case!_

"Hunny, please. Call me Reina," Mrs. Hikari said. "Ugh, Mrs. Hikari makes me sound _so_ old and I don't even have a single wrinkle!" She pulled on her face, proving she wasn't a day over forty. "I'm telling you, hunny, cucumbers work magic on the complexion, don't you agree?"

Kairi giggled as she nodded her head. She'd have to remember that little tidbit. Mrs. Hikari, er...Reina, was full of womanly information and gossip and there were times when she was, just, something else. She liked to have fun and Kairi distinctively remembered her taking rock climbing classes at the nearby recreational center. You could easily tell which side of the family Sora got his risk-taking genes from.

"Oh, sweetie, you're awake!" Mrs. Hikari exclaimed as Sora entered the dining room. She got up and placed a hand on her son's forehead. "See Kairi, no fever." She gave the red head a quick wink. "I seriously think you'd make one hot nurse! Just keep eating cucumbers and you'll have the doctors falling for you all over the place."

Kairi blushed frantically, her face growing a shade redder than her hair. Thoughts of wearing tight white scrubs with the short skirt that revealed her legs, the cute little hat, the high-heeled shoes, and the stethoscope left her utterly speechless.

Reina erupted in a hysterical fit as she patted Kairi on the shoulder. "Think of it dear, you'd be the next Florence Nightingale, except 1000 times sexier."

"Geeezz, I don't think I could do that," Kairi replied. "Don't you think that's kind of embarrassing?"

"Heavens, no! The hospital is so drab: white walls, old magazines, crummy cafeteria food. Not to mention, Dr. Finkelstein scares half his patients to death. No wonder no one wants to go there. Anything to liven that place up would be an improvement!"

"I guess…"

"Just think about all the people you could help cure. I could send Sora over to you when Riku finally cracks his head open. I swear, boys are great but they end up killing themselves."

That easily put a smile on Kairi's face. It was all so true. She stole at quick glance at Sora and, lo and behold, sitting on top of his head was a small bump. Maybe she'd have to become a nurse sooner than she wished.

"What do you think, Sora?" Mrs. Hikari slyfully inquired as she turned her attention to her idle son. "You'd think Kairi would make a great nurse, right?"

"..."

She turned her head, surprised to find Sora no longer behind her. Instead, he was sprawled out on the floor. He had fainted once again.

_I'll take that as a yes._

"Sora?" Kairi worriedly rushed up to the boy and gently began to shake him. She rested his head in her arms, trying to think of something to do.

"See Kairi. You already have Sora falling for you." Reina laughed as she poured a bucket of cold water over Sora' face.

-KH-

"Ah...ah...choo!"

"Reina, Sora's awake."

Sora groaned as he lifted himself off the couch. _What the heck happened? _He was sure he woke up this morning feeling dapper. What happened to that rejuvenating strength that he felt flowing through his veins? He remembered being in Kairi's arms- a rather nice memory to have. Then he remembered something about water, which he recalled as a bad memory. After that, everything went black.

He turned his head to find his mom and Kairi sitting across from him. Kairi had a concerned look on her face while his mom just sat there, cooly inspecting the thermometer.

"I take that back, Kairi. Sora's still sick." She tapped on the thermometer bulb. "We're out of medicine too. We'll have to get some now, wouldn't we?" She got up and left the room.

Kairi walked towards Sora and gave him a comforting smile. Instantly, Sora felt himself getting a little better but that could just be the blood rushing to his head, providing oxygen to his brain. "It looks like we're playing hospital again."

Sora nodded as he reclined back in his seat. "You know, my mom was right about you being a nurse. You'd be great at it."

Kairi blushed as she looked down at the carpet floor. Nursing was last on her list of occupations. She thought about teaching because she loved kids but then after finding out that she was a bonafide princess, she entertained the notion of living in a big castle.

"I don't know, Sora. I haven't really thought that far ahead. All I knew was that I wanted to spend every minute of every day with you...and Riku, too." She let out a forced laugh to hide the little slip-up. Hopefully, he didn't catch that.

Sora smiled as well. In fact, that's exactly what he planned to do. He already had the greatest job in the universe and he wanted to spend the waking moments of everyday with the people that meant so much to him.

"Alright you two," Mrs. Hikari said, as she entered the living room. A phone was in her hand and a sheet of paper was in the other. "I already called the pharmacy and they have your medicine waiting for you already." She handed the note to Sora. On it was the brand of the medicine and other clinical writing on it that barely legible. "Kairi, could you go with Sora?"

Kairi nodded her head as she stood and walked over to the door. Once Sora was ready, they departed.

-KH-

Sora and Kairi walked side by side, following the dirt lined road as they came over the hill. The walk wasn't too strenous for Sora and he was lucky that the pharmacy was close by to home. In the past, he'd have to travel five miles just to be able to pick up a prescription at the hospital.

For easier access, the pharmacy was relocated closer to the middle of the town. It was a giant building, fully tooled with updated machinery and state of the art equipment. The first floor contained all the medication and full racks lined the floor. Basic painkillers, cough serum, vitamins, and dietary supplements were easily accessed by the general public. Of course, the more potent elixers were prescribed only by doctors. Missing from the inventory were your usual potions, phoenix downs, and ethers. The second floor housed all the injury treatment items. Hot packs, cold packs, bandages, and medical tape were the items Sora usually bought.

"Come on, Sora," Kairi said as she made her way past the automatic double doors.

"Yeah. I'm right behind you."

It was cool inside the building and casual radio music was softly playing over the PA system. Sora looked around, easily spotting the service desk behind a slim line of customers. Following Kairi, he waited beside her until the next clerk was ready to assist them.

"You have the paper, right?" Kairi asked as she noticed the line getting shorter.

"Uh...yeah. I have it in my pocket, right here."

"Ok, good. It would totally suck if you lost it. We would have walked _all_ this way for nothing." Sora easily caught the exaggeration and laughed off his friend's silliness. Kairi wasn't a fan of walking very far and, sometimes, patience wasn't a virtue she possessed.

"It's alright," Sora assured her. "We could have walked back if I had forgotten it. I mean, I forget stuff all the time. Besides, exercise is good for you."

Kairi turned quickly towards him, glaring, and hands resting on her hips. "Are you insinuating that I'm fat?!"

"Woah, easy there," Sora replied. "I didn't say that you were." He was fighting hard not to smile. Still, he had to wonder. What if he said yes? What would actually happen? He glanced at Kairi who was patting her tummy, self-consciousness setting in. Sora retreated knowing that he delivered a big time blow. Of course, Kairi wasn't fat. She was slender and the way her pink outfit hugged her curves exposed her coke bottle figure. She looked...

_Hot? _

_Beautiful? _

_Drop dead gorgeous?  
_

How about all the above and, yet...

"Fine," Sora said. "You look fine."

Kairi narrowed her eyes.

"You better not be joking," she warned.

"I'm serious. You look fine. I mean, the diet pills are just behind you if you need them. I'll hold your spot in line." He just couldn't resist.

Kairi retaliated as she whacked Sora across the arm, causing everyone to stare at them. Her face flushed with embarassment but for Sora, he was enjoying every minute of it. _Ah, the female teen drama._ He chuckled as he noticed the clerk calling him over.

"So what can I do you for?" the employee asked. The pharmacist was dressed in a white lab coat, her blonde hair tied up in a bun.

Sora dug into his pockets, producing the sheet of paper. He handed it over and waited as the woman went into the back.

"You just needed one bottle, right?" she called out.

"Sure. One should be fine," Sora replied. "By the way, do you guys have a different flavor?"

"Not a fan of cherry, are you?"

"I like cherries but not for medicine. Stings my throat a little bit."

"Ah, I see. We have grape. Would that be fine?"

"Alright. I'll try that."

The pharmacist gave the bottle a quick shake before setting it on the counter. After entering the information on the computer, she opened a white paper bag and slipped the medicine inside along with refill documents and those graduated disposable medicine cups that no one ever got rid of.

"Uh...how much is it? Sora asked.

"Oh. You don't know?"

Sora shook his head.

"First time refills are free. But it's been so long between visits. I'm surprised the medicine hadn't expire yet."

Sora shrugged. He was so used to drinking potions and those things never expired. It was too bad he ran out a long time ago.

"So, when does this medicine expire?"

"Seven months."

"Really?"

"Yeah, you still got time. Anything else I could get for you?"

"This," Kairi interjected.

Sora looked down, surprised to find a can in front of him. "You got Slim-Fast?!"

Kairi beamed an innocent wide smile. "Uh huh."

_Didn't I just say that Kairi looked fine?_

That'll be 500 munny," the pharmacist said, looking Sora straight in the eye. The brunette turned around motioning at Kairi. Kairi emptied her pockets, showing that she had no money with her.

"Whoops," Kairi giggled. "I forgot my money. Could you spot me?"

Sora sighed as he reached into his money bag and counted out 500 munny. Kairi had played him for a fool and it cost him dearly. A whole week's allowance from slaying Heartless was gone in a matter of seconds!

"Thanks, Sora," Kairi smiled as she took hold of her weight loss drink. Popping open the tab, she took a quick sip. "So, how do I look?" Kairi put a hand on her hip, doing her best impression of fashion models.

She definitely could work it. She'd make one heck of a model/nurse. She could even make those scrubs look fashionable.

"So? Skinny enough for you?"

_More like perfect_ Sora thought. Then again, wasn't she always?

Kairi giggled as she walked past the gawking boy and gave him a tap on the shoulder. "Come on, Sora. Don't you know that it's rude to stare? I know I'm stunning and all, but _try_ to control yourself." She flipped her auburn hair, purposely hitting Sora across the face.

Sora brushed it off but not before inhaling the sweet scent of strawberries.

"Very funny," the brunette answered as he turned tail for home.

-KH-

Moments later, they passed through the plaza, deciding to take another route back home. There was no way they wanted to go back up that hill. They entered the shopping district and immediately Kairi's eyes lit up as she found the local ice cream palor right there.

"Hey Sora, wanna grab some ice cream?"

"But you don't have any money, remember?"

"I know, but you do," she replied with a big grin. "Let's go!" She grabbed Sora's hand and pulled him quickly across the street.

"Hey, wait a minute. I'm still have a cold!" Sora said as he did his best to keep up with his friend. "I don't think I should be eating ice cream."

"Nonsense. If you have a fever, you need to cool down, right?"

Sora nodded his head. It made sense.

"Then ice cream would be perfect for you," she logically assessed.

Sora shrugged his shoulder as he opened the door and followed Kairi inside. They took a seat on the bar stool and waited for someone to take their order.

"Hey Sora!" a squeaky voice greeted. Sora peered over the counter to see a duck clothed in green clothing. _Dewey, right? Or was it Huey?_ He could never straighten it out. The same was with Chip and Dale. There were too many twins running around._  
_

"Hey," Sora answered. "How's Uncle Scrooge doing?"

"He's doing great! Business is booming in Radiant Garden and Huey and Dewey have a store in Twilight Town."

_This definitely had to be Louie._

"That's great!"

Louie nodded his head exhuberantly as he grabbed a spoon. "Did you come in for some seal-salt ice cream?"

"Yeah. Small size, though. I'm kind of sick."

"What about you, your highness?"

Kairi blushed at the mention of her title. She wasn't accustomed to it. Being plain ol' Kairi was good enough for her.

"I'll have a sea-salt ice cream, too."

"Large size?"

"Of course."

Louie handed them their ice creams and left them to tend to other customers. It was hard manning, or ducking, the store by himself but if he worked really hard, Uncle Scrooge _maybe_ would buy him that new bicycle.

"Feeling cooler, yet?" Kairi asked as she bit down on her giant treat.

"Yeah. Sea-salt ice cream always does the trick."

"It sure does. It's definitely the best flavor."

"I thought you liked strawberry."

"I do, but I like sea-salt too."

"You can only have one favorite," Sora told her. "Which one is it?"

"That's hard," Kairi said as she took another lick. "I guess I like them both."

Sora soon finished his ice cream and threw the cup away in the trash. Kairi finished her's shortly afterwards and when Sora dropped the payment on the counter, they left.

By now, it was probably time for lunch. The sun was at its apex but it didn't stop Kairi from shivering excessively.

"Man, I'm really cold."

Sora looked at her, noticing that her lip was a slight tinge of blue.

"You probably had too much ice cream."

"I guess so." She rubbed her arms, hoping the friction would generate enough heat to keep her warm. "Argh, I really need to warm up."

Sora unzipped his black jacket and wrapped it around Kairi's shoulders.

"Oh, Sora. You don't have to. You need it more." Kairi tried to slip the jacket off but Sora's hands clamped down on her shoulders, hindering her from removing it.

"I'll be fine," he said as he wrapped an arm around Kairi's waist. In shock, she turned to face him. Their eyes locked for a brief moment until Sora realized how akward they must look.

"Just so you won't try to remove it," he slowly stated. He peeled his arms back, embarassingly, and tucked his hands in his pockets. His gaze dropped to the ground as he walked on ahead.

Reassured, Kairi let the oversized article of clothing envelop her small frame as she revelled in the surrounding warmth. Her nose picked up an unfamiliar scent and she lifted the sleeve up to find the source of her pleasure. _Is this a new cologne? I think I like this one._ Breaking out of her intoxicated trance, she found herself alone on the walking path. A tumbleweed blew across her feet.

"Sora?"

Her eyes darted left and right as she took off running in the forward direction. She had no clue where he went. Heart pounding in her chest, she came across a dog and a brilliant idea formed in her head.

"Hey there little guy," Kairi greeted as she scratched the little critter behind the ear. The dog seemed to enjoy it as it rested beside her ankles. Kairi slipped off the jacket and immediately felt the cold return. Bending down, she extrended the sleeve to the dog's nose. "Go find Sora."

After two sniffs, the dog planted its nose on the ground, moving in a zigzag pattern. It was hot on Sora's trail! The dog circled around the tree and just as Kairi was ready to follow, the dog stopped and lifted its face towards her. Dropping onto its hind legs, the dog's serious eyes widened, as if it had found the target.

Kairi stared down at the dog, trying to figure out what was going on with the dog. She took a step to the right; the dog followed. As she stepped back, the dog came forward. The little game of follow the leader made her realizing that she smelled like Sora. Dropping her head in utter fail, she patted the dog on the head.

"Hey Kairi," a voice called out. "What are you doing over there? My house is this way."

Kairi looked up in the direction of the voice to find Sora waving frantically. She raced up to greet him, a wave of relief washing over her. "Sorry, I lost you for a moment."

"I know. When I looked back you were smelling my jacket," he laughed. "I hope it didn't smell too bad. I just washed it a few days ago."

Kairi bit down on her lip as she reached out and grabbed Sora's wrist. Sora instantly ceased his laughter knowing he was in for a world of hurt. Kairi did summon a keyblade once and with his arm locked, he wouldn't be able to summon his weapon if Kairi decided to come after him.

"I...I was just joking," he quickly said. "Please don't kill me."

"So I won't get lost this time," Kairi calmly said, looking downwards. Sora noticed her hold had loosened and her voice turned gentle.

Sora nodded his head as he reached for her hand. "Let's go home."

* * *

I didn't like the ending at all. It was so cheesy, every muscle in my body locked up. Ugh, I hate that feeling. Well, until next time...

_Rock out, party hard, live hardcore_


	7. Hangin' at the Mall

_-Chapter Seven-  
_**Hangin' at the Mall  
**

_GGGOOOOOOAAAALLLLLLL!  
_

"NO!" Sora roared as his fist came crashing down on the tabletop. "I HAD THAT! GAH, RIKU, YOU DISTRACTED ME!"

The air hockey game had been close - back when the boys were hatching eggs, 0-0. Riku eventually pulled away while Sora's mind was busy with distracting thoughts.

"So, how's Kairi doing?" Riku would ask, following up with a slapshot that sent the puck racing across the table. _CLANG! _Score: 1-0.

"Peachy," Sora abruptly answered. He threw his arm out, blocking a return shot and sending the puck reeling towards Riku.

_BOOM! _

_BANG!_

In a swift turn of events, Sora found himself, down, 0-3. He was able to score on the next drive to cut the deficit down to two goals. Both boys traded scores and with the most recent goal, Riku found himself with the score heavily in his favor, 6-4. **_Game point!_** The next point would make him the winner, again.

"Come on, Sora," he said. "You could have easily blocked that."

"I know," the boy answered. "Just shut up." The conversation all afternoon had been all about Kairi, much to the dismay and pleasure of the spiky haired loser, and it was getting annoying. How many times did he have to say that he hadn't kissed her yet? Did he have to repeat the fact that he was infatuated with her and just seeing her gave him butterflies? Would he be doomed to know that he could never have her for his own? And if not, was it too much to ask?

Sora reached down and grabbed the translucent green puck. He dropped it in front of him and let it bounce until it laid flat. Looking up, he bared his teeth as the scoreboard showed Riku pulling away. Instead of being down one goal, he was now facing a last-shot predicament. The next time Riku scored, it would be all over. He had to shut Riku up. He needed to score and he needed to score, now.

"Get ready for this one, Riku," Sora swore through clenched teeth. "You can't stop this!"

He violently slapped the green puck with his white air hockey paddle, sending the projectile gliding upfield with devestating speed and force. Riku nudge his paddle to the right, barely clipping the puck before it collided with the rail and went zig-zagging back to Sora. The brunette struck once more, sending the puck off the rail, a bee line towards Riku's goal. Riku groaned as he blocked it, the force of the shot rippling through his arm. He ducked his head as the puck went flying off the table, landing harmlessly on the ground beside him. _Watch the hair you dope!_

Riku retreived the puck and put back into play, deflecting it across the table with ease. Each return hit sent the puck accelerating forward- neither boy backing down. The table was visibly shaking, the clang of metal rivaling the cracking of thunder. The two boys were noted for causing mayhem in the arcade. Each game was played as if for blood. Racing games turned into monster truck shows. Sora and Riku would veer each other's vehicle into walls, pits, curves, and buildings. The loser never crossed the finish line. Marvel v. Capcom was down for maintenance, joysticks ripped off as if Sora and Riku were swinging their keyblades. Don't even mention laser tag.

Sora smacked the puck once again, richocheting it off the rail, purposely making sure it would come back to him. After two more series, the puck's speed had gradually increased. It was now a green blur on the table.

"So, will I be the one to tell Kairi that you lost, again?" Riku mocked.

Sora ignored him. Right now his focus was getting the right timing on this shot. There was enough of an opening that if Sora could get the puck past Riku, he'd have a shot to score. There would have to be a lot of accuracy and little bit of luck on his part. _NOW!_ With a barbaric yell, he sent the puck zipping towards Riku's goal. The boy lunged forward in an attempt at defense. However, the puck sailed into the goal, the loud bang of metal insuring Sora a point.

_GGGGOOOOAAALLL!_

"YES!" Sora boomed as he clenched his fist and punched the air. "You can tell Kairi that I won." That score brought him within one point of tying this up, two points short of winning. He scored to live another rally. All he needed to do was keep Riku from scoring.

"This is the closet you've been all day," Riku fired back from across the table. "But you won't get any closer." He let the puck drop and just before it made contact with the table, Sora ducked as the projectile went sizzling through his hair. Examining the tips, he frowned. He hated split ends!

Sora bent down to pick up the green puck and he gently laid it down on the table. Riku never liked to serve since it took away from his power. Sora knew he had to play this one safe or else fall victim to Riku's return shot. He lifted his paddle off the table, angling it down over the edge of the puck. He drove his arm down, driving the puck into the air.

"EAT IT!"

Sparks flew off the table and Riku braced himself just as the puck bounced off his arm. As it landed back on the table, Riku exhaled releasing a torrent of power that sent the puck flying towards Sora's goal. Sora slammed his paddle down, trapping the puck inches away from the tiny slot.

"Hmph," Riku breathed out as he wiped the beads of sweat from his face. "Lucky save."

Sora stuck his tongue out, glaring knives at his nemesis. Pretty boy was going down!

Sora put the puck back into play, starting another round of vicious rallying. The puck collided into the rails, bounced off paddles, each boy's arm working like oars swishing through the water. Neither boy wished defeat, their defiance taking form in loud huffs and snorts. Each of Sora's shots were coming straight down the middle, pounding on Riku's paddle for entrance. Finally, Riku found daylight, a tiny crevice beneath Sora's arm. He sent his shot barreling straight for the opening. Sora's eyes grew wide as he retracted his arm, trying to set up a defense.

**_BANG!_**

The sound of metal rang loudly throughout the arcade and when Sora opened his eyes, he found his paddle missing from his hand. The tabletop was cleared. Looking across at Riku, he found astonishment etched on the boy's face. The score hadn't changed which meant that no score had been counted. Even the puck slot was empty. Turning around, Sora found his paddle on the ground right next to the green puck. There was a crater on the side of table, a dent in the paddle, and a crack in the puck.

Once again both boys had raised mayhem.

"What just happened?" Sora asked as he placed his paddle and puck on the table. No air was coming through the holes and the lights that lit up the scoreboard were turned off.

"I think we broke it," Riku simply answered.

"How?"

"I think it was when you blocked the last shot. The paddle squirted from your hand and went crashing into the table. Good job, Sora. You broke it."

Sora chuckled a bit as a smile erupted on his face. He embarassingly raised his arm and rubbed the back of his neck. "Oops."

"I don't think the owner is going to like this one bit."

"THAT'S RIGHT, I DON'T!"

Sora and Riku slowly turned around, feeling a pair of enflamed eyes burn their backs. The manager's face was red and a broom was clenched in his hand.

"Hehe...sorry," Sora apologized. "I didn't mean-"

"OUT!"

He lifted both boys by the collar, dragging them forcibly out the door.

"Hey! Let go of me!" Sora fought. "I know my rights."

"Yes, you have the right to remain silent," the owner acknowledged.

"Screw that! I plead the fifth."

The boys landed with a thud on the hard ground. Riku stood up, patting his butt.

"Man, that really hurt."

Sora rolled over, using his hands to push himself upright. "Tell me about it. I don't think I take being thrown out of public places too well anymore." He looked back through the window, his eyes on the manager who instantly drew the blinds. "We really gotta find a new place around here to hang out."

"What about the ice cream parlor. Louie's pretty chill."

"Yeah, but Uncle Scrooge likes only paying customers, remember?"

Riku thought back for a second, his mind replaying the time Sora tried to get his hands on free ice cream. Apparently, being the hero of the universe didn't merit much in the eyes of entrepreneurs. "I guess you're right. New place then."

Sora walked down the bench and took a seat. They still had a lot of summer left to kill and already half the town wanted him dead. From property damage to misuse of gummi ships and disobeying traffic air laws, he had broken quite a lot of rules.

"Hey, come on. I think I know of a new place to hang out," Riku said as he slapped Sora on the shoulder.

-KH-

Kairi sighed as she brushed aside the clothing from the racks. There was nothing there that caught her eye, and even after walking all around the department store for the tenth time, nothing seemed to catch her interest. _When is Selphie going to be done?_ She was exhausted and hungry and her arms felt like falling out of their sockets. The bags full of clothing was weighing her down and with no chair in sight, she was doomed to wait until her yellow wearing friend exited the dressing room. Kairi grumbled as she fought her way past the stationary mannequins, cursing them for being able to fit in zero size clothing, and into the middle of the store where the glistening jewelry was displayed. She dropped the bags on the ground, careful to keep them together. This was the last time she was going shopping with Selphie. Taking a seat on a vacant chair, her eyes rapidly traced the jewelry, stones of ruby, gem, sapphire, and opal shining back at her. Lastly she came upon the watches, what she saw put her in a state of disbelief.

_Who the heck shops for four hours straight?  
_

Fuming, Kairi stomped over to the dressing room and knocked loudly on the door. "Selphie, get out here!"

"O-okay," the terrified girl whimpered with the sound of hangers falling. The door finally opened revealing a rather sad and disappointed Selphie. Behind her, yellow articles of clothing, mainly dresses, were crumpled and piled up. The only ones that were decent still hung from the hangers, unworn.

"Sheesh Kairi, I wasn't even done yet. I had ten more dresses to go."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Come on, I'm hungry."

"Ok fine. Just let me pay."

Kairi hung her head as she followed the hyper, shopping loving girl to the registers, multiple dresses and clothing flowing behind her. The line seemed to move slowly and Kairi grinded her teeth as her tummy began to growl. _I swear I'm gonna kill her if I don't die of starvation first!  
_

Selphie finally finished and she and Kairi exited the department store and headed towards the food court. Kairi, already faint, lagged behind already knowing Selphie had a bright smile on her face since she accumulated three more bags to add to her collection. How she managed to carry all those bags was a wonder in itself for she didn't have the visible muscle strength. God knows, working out wasn't on her list of priorities.

The girls found an open table and Kairi left her bags as she dashed for the nearest source of food leaving Selphie alone with her prized possessions. Pizza seemed like a good idea right now and Kairi was just about to bite until she saw how long the line was. Seething, she went to the next booth. Hopefully, she'd have better luck with Subway. Kairi waited eagerly in line, counting the remaining heads before her. Currently, she was third. Hearing other people's orders made her mouth salivate. Orders of Philly cheesesteaks, oven roasted chicken, or even sweet onion chicken teriyaki sounded really appetizing.

"Miss, can I help you?"

Kairi stepped forward to the counter, eyes expectant. "I'll have a chicken breast on Italian."

"Footlong?" the guy asked.

"Yeah. Sure."

"Cheese?"

"Provlone."

"Mayo, mustard?"

"Mayo."

"Lettuce, tomato-"

"Everything on it," Kairi enthusiastically answered. She was hungry!

A look of shock was over the guy's face as he slowly reached for the lettuce.

"Sorry about that," Kairi apologized, her face red from embarassment. "I'm kinda hungry."

The guy only laughed as he handed over the sub. "It's all good. Don't worry about it."

Kairi smiled as she paid then quickly rushed back to the table.

"Whoa! Was that guy just flirting with you?" Selphie asked as Kairi dug into her food. "He looked cute. Did you get his number?"

Kairi's face flushed red as she looked up at her friend. "No, I didn't. I just said something really weird."

"Did you say you wanted a footlong or something?"

"NO!" Kairi exclaimed as she covered up the remaining half of her sandwhich. "I just said I wanted everything on it."

Selphie laughed. "He probably thought you were a fatty."

Kairi stuck out her tongue; of course she had swallowed her food already. "Eh, a girl's gotta eat, right? Besides, Sora said the same thing."

"Sora called you fat! I'm gonna kill-"

"Easy, Selphie," Kairi said, calming the girl. "He was just joking. You know how he is."

"Yeah, the guy's pretty dense."

"Selphie!"

"What?" _It's true. Poor guy doesn't even have a clue that Kairi likes him. _"All I'm saying is that Sora doesn't notice a lot of stuff. I mean, he probably doesn't even know that you _like_ him."

"Shh..." Kairi whispered, bringing a finger to her lips. "How did you- I didn't even tell..."

"I'm not dense like spiky boy over there. I'm your best friend and I think I know you pretty well."

"You know me too well, sometimes. It's freaky."

"Yes, yes. I'm supposed to know a lot. It's my job, duh! I can't be the number one gossip queen if I didn't know all the rumors out there. Even the one about you and Sora hanging out all the time."

"What do you mean? We hang out _all_ the time."

"But that's only at the little island. I called your house a while back, and out of the blue, they said you were staying over at Sora's house. You never stayed over at Sora's house for the night before."

Kairi bit down on her lip. "He was sick and his mom had a business meeting and she called me to take care of him."

Selphie's eyes began to shine like stars. "Nurse Kairi..."

"Ugh, that's what Mrs. Hikari said too," Kairi whined. "Why does everyone keep thinking I'll be a nurse?"

Selphie giggled. "Just imagine it for a second. You'd look so hot!"

"Ah, no thanks. It's not for me."

Kairi dug back into her sandwhich, nodding absentmindedly as Selphie kept on talking.

-KH-

"Hey Riku where are we going?"

"I didn't tell you?"

"Well, you said you found a new spot to hang out at."

"I did? What I meant to say was that I'm hungry." His stomach growled to reiterate his point. "Come on, we're going to the food court."

Both boys entered the elevator and waited until the lift carried them to the second floor. The arcade was located on the bottom floor and spanned an area that rivalled an entire baseball diamond. Peanuts, considering that the entire mall was triple that size.

Riku strode over casually out the sliding doors, hands tucked in his pockets. However, a familiar sight made him crack a smile.

"Hey, Sora, isn't that Kairi over there?" he inquired, pointed his friend's attention to the red haired girl sitting before them.

Sora instantly nodded, knowing that person anywhere. "Hey Kairi!"

"Well speak of the devil," Selphie found herself saying as her eyes peered up to find Sora running up to them, Riku trailing behind. "Hey Sora. Fancy seeing you here. Kairi and I were just talking about you." She shot smile at Kairi who readily blushed. It had to be pure coincidence that the person of her affection had seemingly wandered into her presence.

"I guess you were right, Sora," Riku stated as he came up from behind. "Hey Kairi. Selphie. You know what I'm gonna get something to eat. I'll be back."

"Wait," Selphie called out. "I'll join you. I haven't gotten anything to eat either." Riku shrugged indifferently as he turned tail to the nearest food booth.

"Mind if I take a seat?" Sora asked, his hand already clasping the seatback.

"Go on ahead," Kairi answered, moving her bags aside so Sora could sit next to her. "So what's up?"

"Nothing really. Riku just got hungry so we came here to eat."

-KH-

"Perfect timing, Riku," Selphie congratulated as she stood in line with Riku. Their backs were turned to the sitting couple but Selphie's mirror was out and she could see everything that was transpiring behind her.

"I didn't know you'd be here," he plainly said.

"And miss out on a sale? Are you kidding me? All the department stores are 50% off! There's no way I'm missing out on that opportunity."

Riku rolled his eyes. He should have known.

"Besides, I picked up on new information."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. Kairi just told me she likes Sora. Isn't it exciting?"

"You never knew?"

"I always knew but it's the first time I heard her ever say it. That girl has a thick skull to crack."

"So does Sora."

"I know," Selphie said, her eyes seeing hearts fall everywhere. "They're perfect for each other."

-KH-

"This is the last time I'm shopping with Selphie," Kairi said. By this time the conversation had deepened as both friends shared a laugh at Selphie's shopping expense. "That girl's gonna be the end of me one of these days."

"Yeah, tell me about it. Hey, you gonna finish that?" Sora asked pointing towards Kairi's half of the sandwhich.

"I was going to," she answered but one look at Sora's dejected face made her feel miserable inside. She hated to see Sora sad. He definitely looked a lot better smiling. "Uh...nevermind, you can have it. I'm trying to watch my figure, anyways."

Sora smiled as he took the sub in his hand and bit off half the sandwhich with one bite. Three inches of Subway sandwhich was gone.

"And I thought I was the fat one," Kairi sarcastically said.

Sora finished swallowing a second later, his mouth clear to offer a rebuttle. "Well, I think you look perfect." He grinned cheekily like a kid at a candy store then went back to eating lunch.

Kairi blushed at the simple compliment. Sure, she could sense the hint of sarcasm in his tone but Sora's grin was never fake. If Sora thought she was perfect, then that's all that mattered.

Riku and Selphie returned after finishing their food, breaking - ruining - another SoKai moment.

"So what are you guys going to do now?" Kairi asked.

"I don't know," Sora answered. "Riku and I didn't plan anything after the arcade."

"Great!" Selphie proclaimed. "That means you guys can hold our bags as we shop!"

Riku and Sora exchanged worried glances knowing Selphie's track record.

"I uh...I think I hear my mom calling," Sora said as he took of running in the opposite direction.

"Oh no you don't," Selphie barked as she grabbed his shirt. She pulled him close, whispering something in his ear. "You don't want Kairi to carry her bags all by herself, do you? What kind of a keyblade master isn't chivalrous?"_  
_

Sora looked back at Kairi, eyeing the bags in her possession. They did look heavy. "Oh alright." He walked over to Kairi and extended his hand.

Kairi felt her heart skip a beat at the gesture wondering if Sora wanted to hold her hand. She didn't know what to make of it and seeing sincerity in Sora's eyes made her words clump in her throat.

"Um...I'll carry those for you," Sora said as he took the bags from her grasp and easily slung them over his shoulder.

"Make sure you flex those biceps a little more for Kairi," Riku snickered as Sora walked past him. He broke out in laughter until Selphie dropped her bags into his arms.

"Sucker!" Sora rejoiced as he ran forward trying to escape getting pummeled.

* * *

I was originally going to have this chapter be the precursor for Sora and Kairi's confession to one another but I decided to hold off until later. I wanted this chapter to be a fun chapter since I felt I lost some momentum the last two chapters.

I'm on summer break now which means...PARTY!

_Rock out, party hard, live hardcore_


	8. He's Legal and I'm Single

Grab and pillow, a blanket, and some hot chocolate. This is the longest chapter yet.

* * *

**-Chapter Eight-  
**_He's Legal and I'm Single  
_

Sora sat on his couch, phone pressed to his ear. Riku was on the other line, going on and on with his elaborate birthday plans. He was turning eighteen in a matter of days and nothing would better celebrate his transition into manhood than a big-time party. For most eighteen year old celebrants, they would be entitled to throw a birthday bash at a club, rent it out, and pop the speakers until daybreak. Riku wasn't your typical birthday celebrant. Besides, he hated confined places and that gave him more motivation to leave the island all those years ago.

"So man, I was thinking a party at the beach," Riku said. "What do you think?"

"I don't know, Riku. We hit the beach everyday. I think it would be kind of bland."

"Dude, we live on _Destiny Islands_. Plural. There's more than one beach."

Sora furrowed his eyebrows. Obviously, Destiny Islands was a chain of islands, the largest one being the main island and housing more than half of the total population. As for the beaches, Sora knew only of one.

"I'm not following," Sora admitted. "What beach are you talking about?"

"South Beach."

"South Beach? Where's that at?"

"The beach on the southern most island. It's only fifteen minutes away."

"Oh, never seen it."

"You can easily see it from the gummi ship," Riku inserted, hoping to jog his friend's memory.

Sora shook his head. After his first test drive which resulted in crashing into the Deep Jungle, Donald didn't let Sora pilot anymore. Bored, and with nothing to do, Sora ended up sleeping through all the flights. It made sense that his sense of direction was horrible.

"Whatever," Sora shrugged. "So how are you going to do this?"

"Simple," Riku confidently answered and though the entire conversation had taken place over the phone, Sora could picture the smirk. "It's a pretty big beach so there are tons of towers that we can choose from. I was thinking of having a DJ and having a bonfire at night."

"That sounds awesome! I'll call up the guys and tell them the plan."

"Alright man, I'll make that reservation right now. Talk to you later."

Sora reached for his phone book, thumbing through the pages. He had a lot of numbers to dial and he'd better start now. Remembering that Riku wanted to have a bonfire, there was only one person Sora had to call.

-KH-

_RRRIIIIINNNNNGGGG!_

"Keep your shirt on! I'm coming!" a male with red fiery hair yelled from the other room. Throwing off his "kiss the cook" apron, he stomped over to the table and picked up the receiver. It was a bad idea to bother him when he was cooking. _Number not listed. _Axel groaned. Roxas had to be playing another trick on him. This was the third time this week. Chastising himself for not getting an answering machine, Axel lifted the phone to his ear.

"ROXAS! YOU-"

"WOULD YOU QUIT CALLING ME THAT?"

"Sora?"

"Seems like you haven't gotten that memorized yet."

"Whatever, spiky. Now what the heck do you want? I'm frying chicken over here and my buns are burning." Axel lifted his eyes to the kitchen, catching a glimpse of black smoke wafting through the vents. "Hold that thought."

Axel dropped the receiver and rushed into the kitchen. The smoke detectors were already ringing and fire was spitting from the oven. The scene was hellish. "Shut up already," Axel yelled as he threw one of his chakrams at the smoke alarm. He opened the oven door and pulled out the bread pan, relieved to find his biscuits in perfect, round, and fluffy condition. However the inside of his oven was toast. He'd have to get another one.

Exhaling deeply, he returned to his phone call. "Ok Sora, what were you saying?"

"Did you burn the castle again?"

Axel peeked back into the kitchen. Black soot covered the walls, smoke was still clearing out the windows, and his chakram was still stuck to the wall. "Nope, I burned the kitchen."

Sora shook his head. Maybe inviting Axel wouldn't be a good idea. An innocent bonfire could easily turn into a forest fire.

"Anyways man, I'm inviting you to Riku's birthday."

"Oh yeah? So you need me to DJ, huh? You know I bump the beats that turns up the heat."

Sora grimaced. "Actually, Riku was going to have a bonfire and since lighting up stuff is your forte…"

"I'm there," Axel simply put. "Anyways, I got to go. I can hear Larxene coming down the stairs. She's going to give me hell about the kitchen right about...now."

"AXEL!"

"See? Gotta go, spiky. I'll see you then."

"The name's Sora!"

_I'm sorry, the number you dialed has been disconnected or is no longer in service. Please hang up and try again. For more options, press the pound button. _

Sora sighed as he hung up the phone. One hot head down, and one rock head to go.

-KH-

_RRRIIIINNNGG!_

"Huh? Wha-?"

_RRIIIINNNNGGG!_

"Oh snaps. Hello?"

"Finally. Man, I'm telling you…"

"Wait. Hold on. Who's this again?"

"Guess."

"Oh, ok. Um...Roxas?"

_Why does everyone think I'm Roxas? I'm way cuter than that nobody._

"The other one," Sora mumbled.

"Oh! Sora! Spiky, how are you doing?"

_Again with the spiky?_

"I'm good. I was wondering if you had any gigs next week."

"Any gigs, huh? Let me check." Demyx hopped off his bed and reached for his calendar. To his surprise, he had next week completely free. After touring for the last six months it was rare to find a day off. His solo career had finally taken off and he found himself at the pinnacle of success. His CD charted at #1 and mullets were back in style. "Hey Sora, good news. I'm open."

"Great! Do you want to DJ for Riku's birthday party?"

"Yeah, sure. I'll do that. No problem."

"Alright. Cool."

-KH-

Sora breathed out as he fell back on his pillow. He had made about a million phone calls. Who knew Riku had it big with the ladies? Sora looked through the phone book; he was halfway done. There had to be an easier way to do this. He turned the page, a familiar number staring back at him. Dialing the number, he was greeted instantly with a loud hello.

"Selphie, I can't hear what you're saying. I think my eardrum is busted."

"Oh…sorry," the girl sweetly apologized.

"Hold on. I think I'm getting my hearing back. Let me switch sides." Sora shifted the phone to his other ear, turning the volume down all the way to the lowest setting. "Anyways, I want to invite you to Riku's birthday next week at the beach."

"I'll definitely be there!" the girl immediately answered.

"Great! Um…could you do me a favor?"

"Is it about Kairi?"

"No."

"Oh."

"Could you call the rest of the guys and invite them? I'm getting tired. I think I called about a million people already."

"Sure, Sora. No problem. Have you called Kairi, yet?"

"No, not yet. Could you call her for me?"

"Of course." Sora could already see the bright and conniving smile that was on Selphie's face at this instance.

He hung up the phone and closed his eyes. From the look of things, Riku's party was going to be big. It was a good thing they decided not to hold it at the little island.

-KH-

"Hey Kairi," Selphie greeted over the phone.

"Hey Selphie, what's up?"

"Riku's having his birthday at the beach next week and you're going."

"Uh…sure. Ok."

"Great, I'll see you there then."

"Oh wait, Selphie…"

"Oh, right. I almost forgot. Sora's going too. Just imagine….you and him, curled up next to the fire under the stars, your head resting on his shirtless chest. (sigh) You're wearing a bikini, working your curves. Sora would definitely be staring…"

Kairi could feel an intense blush rise to her cheeks as she brushed aside the thought. "Selphie, stop that! I wasn't asking about that."

"Oh, then what were you going to ask?"

"I don't know what to get Riku. Any ideas?"

Selphie thought for a minute. "I don't know. Get him a gift card. He's a guy, he'll like anything. Anyways, I got to go. I still have other calls to make."

-KH-

The week passed, with much anticipation for the party. It seemed as if the whole town was going to be there. Sora woke from his nap, startled to find his body entirely covered in sand. He tried to move his legs to raise himself but the weight of the sand was bonecrushing. Yup, he was stuck and no jaws of life to free him. Turning his head around, he hoped to find someone to dig him out. Much to his dismay, there wasn't anyone around. The little island was vacant today which was why Sora chose this spot for his nap. Riku's party wasn't until later and he found himself with extra time to spare. A nap sounded really good. Getting stuck didn't sound so good. Struggling to free himself, he dug into his bag of magic tricks.

"Ice!" Sora yelled as shards of icicles fell from the heavens, clunking him on the head. Definitely not the best spell to use. Skipping over fire, he tried using thunder. Maybe the blast would set him free.

"Thunder!"

Surprisingly, nothing happened. The sky grew dark and thunder clouds blew overhead but no thunder. Sora banged his head on the sand, remembering that he was grounded. It was back to the drawing board and he was running out of spells. Cure wasn't going to work; he tried that already. Aero, maybe? Sora shrugged. He hadn't used that one since Kingdom Hearts I. It was a nifty little spell, using the air to shield him from attacks. However it was easily replaced with those cool looking drive transformations. Who needed a shield when you had two keyblades?

"Aero, I guess." Sora closed his eyes as a torrent of wind circled around him. Within moments he was free. "Yes! I love this spell!" Sadly, this would be the last time he would actually use it.

Sora jumped into the water, rinsing the rest of the sand off his body. After he was done, he reached for his bag that had his spare clothes and jacket inside. He was already wearing his trunks and the last thing he needed to do was to get to Riku's party. Recalling that Riku said that South Beach could be seen from the sky, Sora decided to fly there. He hadn't done that in a while either. Imagining a pleasant memory (him and Kairi in the little cave), Sora felt his feet lose contact with the ground and with a quick kick of legs he was airborne, a rocket straight for the beach.

Even from this altitude, he could hear laughter from below. Up-beat music was blaring in his ears and he figured the party had just started. He moved his arms down to his sides and changed the angle of his flight. He was approaching the beach with such a high degree of velocity and just before touchdown, he showed off a little front flip, landing easily on his feet.

"There you are, Sora," a voice called out. "Sleep in again?"

Sora turned around recognizing the familiar nobody and his significant other.

"Nobody," he groaned playfully. "Thanks for burying me in the sand. If I needed a blanket, I could have brought my own."

"I'm not that _heartless_, Sora. You were shivering. I had to do something."

With a laugh, both boys exchanged a rather hard fist bump that sounded like a mini explosion, startling an unaware Namine.

"Come on, let's go find Riku," Roxas suggested. "I haven't seen that guy yet. You know, he almost killed me."

"Haha. Yeah, I remember. You almost got beat by a blind person."

"Actually he was wearing a blindfold," Namine proudly stated. Pride welled in her at remembering the memory but a certain glare from a blue eyed boy made her smile quickly fade. "I'm just joking Roxas. I'm sure Riku could see through that blindfold anyways, right?"

Sora shrugged. He had a hard time seeing past his own bangs sometimes. He was due for a haircut.

As the party of three ventured deeper into the throngs of dancing people, they found Riku with Tidus and Wakka. Kairi and Selphie were sitting down on a log, waiting, as the boys were throwing around a football.

"Hey guys!" Roxas yelled as he broke into a sprint, Namine and Sora trailing miles behind.

"Hey man, glad you could make it," Riku said as he tossed him the football. "Up for a game?"

"Definitely," Roxas answered as he exchanged formal blitzball greetings with Tidus and Wakka.

"So who's playing?" Sora asked, plopping down on the sand.

"Whoever shows up, I guess. The rest of the guys said they were going to show up soon."

Right on cue the rest of the gang showed up. Hayner, Pence, and Olette brought of the first wave with Axel, Yuffie, and Xion following suit. That made a grand total of fourteen, including six girls. Riku did a quick head count satisfied that the teams would work out evenly. Wakka and Tidus were assigned team captain roles, since they were the most athletic ones and proud members of the Zanarkand Abes. It wouldn't be fair to stash them on the same team. After a quick round of rock-paper-scissors, Wakka won the right to choose first.

"We'll go with a guy-girl rotation," Tidus stated. "So the girls won't be chosen last."

Everyone nodded; it was fair.

"I'm picking the brudda, Riku, since it's his birthday," Wakka said.

Riku smiled proudly as he high fived his teammate and shot Sora a quick smirk. Guess who was going to be chosen last?

Tidus found himself in a little pickle having to decide between Hayner and Axel. Hayner had good body coordination. His grandstand act was quite the show in Twilight Town. Axel had the slight height advantage and was a more aggressive defender. He decided to go with Axel.

According to the guy-girl rotation, Wakka had to choose a girl and choose Yuffie. After some thought, Tidus went ahead with Xion. Hayner was chosen next and in a surprise twist, Pence was picked by Tidus.

"What? I need a big guy on this team."

Wakka choose Selphie; Tidus decided to get Olette.

Now it was Riku's turn to spring his little surprise. After a quick word with both team captains, Kairi and Roxas joined Wakka's team. That left Namine and Sora (who was picked up last) on Tidus' team.

"We are so going to win brudda!" Wakka exclaimed. He shot Tidus as competitive smile as both captains lined up on opposite sides of the ball.

"You are so going to lose. Hey, we're playing tackle, right?"

"Of course!" Axel shouted.

"Wait...what?" Namine looked at her teammate, fear engraved in her eyes. Axel scratched his head for a moment, forgetting there were girls present.

"We'll go tackle for guys and two hand touch for girls," Riku suggested. "Two hands, _Roxas_ and girls guard each other."

Roxas immediately blushed as he turned his head away from Namine. _Stupid Riku. First he tries to kill me and now he won't even let me guard my own girlfriend._

In the spirit of Riku's birthday, his team was awarded the ball first._  
_

Wakka and his team emerged from the huddle and approached the line of scrimmage. There were no blockers, since no one like that job, which meant everyone could be a potential receiver. Axel lined up toe-to-toe with Riku, while the rest of the defense played zone coverage.

"DOWN! SET! BLUE-42...BLUE-42! SET...HIKE!"

Riku ran straight ahead, taking Axel and Pence with him. That left a big hole on the left for Kairi who easily caught a lobbed pass. She pivoted out of the reach of Olette and just before she could break into a run, she felt two hands on her back pushing her forwards. She screamed as she felt herself going to the ground, until a pair of arms caught her.

Kairi opened her eyes and turned around. Breaking the rules, as always, was Sora.

"Sora, you dope. Two hand touch, not five second wrap, you perv!" Yuffie shouted from across the field.

Sora blushed as he let go of Kairi, unintentionally dropping the girl on the sand.

"It's alright, Sora," Axel sympathized, a smirk on his face. "Kairi's a tough one to keep your hands off of."

Sora chuckled, remembering the time Kairi escaped to Twilight Town. It was a memory Axel wasn't fond of but it certainly made a great drinking story.

The next play was for Riku who made a great diving catch over Axel's outstretched arms. As the boy made a spin move, he was brought down by Tidus, a clean shot to the waist. The result was a first down and two short plays later, Hayner found himself with the ball in the endzone. _**Touchdown!**_ He celebrated by spiking the ball and colliding midair with Roxas for a chest bump.

Wakka: 1  
Tidus: 0

It was Tidus' team's turn with the ball and the first play of the drive was a completion to Axel. His height was put to use as he soared over Selphie to make a great catch.

"No fair!" the girl whined.

In the huddle, Tidus turned to Sora. They were concocting a trick play. "Alright Pence. We need you to block here. I'll hand the ball off to Xion who will hand it off to Sora. That's it."

"BREAK!"

Pence snapped the ball, a perfect pitch to Tidus. He turned slightly, dropping the ball off in Xion's hands. She bolted right, shoveling the pigskin to a receiving Sora who was coming in fast. He dodged a tackle by Hayner, hurdling over his body. Sora got behind Pence who had a block on Wakka. As he made his move, he felt two soft hands on his back. He fell forward, his knees touching the sand.

"OHHHHHHH!"

"OOOHHHHHHH!"

"OHHHHH, BRUDDA!"

"SORA GOT OWNED BY A GIRL!"

Sora looked up, his eyes meeting a pair of purple orbs. Kairi was overshadowing him, reveling in the fact that she had adminstered payback. She stuck her tongue out.

"Dude, I'm sorry, but you got owned," Axel hacked. "She got you."

"Alright new play," Tidus whispered in the huddle. "I'm throwing this ball to Namine."

"M-Me?"

"Yeah. They'll never expect it," he said, taking a peek over at Roxas.

"O-ok..."

"READY...SET...WHITE-19. WHITE-19...GO!"

Tidus dropped back and pump faked a pass to Pence. Hayner bit on the fake, leaving Namine open in the middle of the field. Taking some mustard off the pass, Tidus lofted a nice one to Namine. She made the catch and was instantly touched.

"Roxas! Come on, man. Play some defense. You're girlfriend is making you look bad," Kairi egged.

"Tell Sora the same thing," he mumbled, picking up the ball and throwing it back to Tidus.

Tidus' team had a first down and were inches away from the goal. Building a wall, Axel received the handoff and jumped into the air, laying his body out. He came crashing into the sand. _**Touchdown! **_Pence made like a camera man, taking imaginary pictures as Axel flexed his biceps and busted out into a little shoulder lean.

The score was tied.

"Man, I'm getting tired," Selphie complained as she wiped the sweat from her forehead. "I haven't even danced yet."

"Alright. Fine. How about next score wins?" Sora chimed. "I'm getting kind of tired too."

There was a little change. Roxas had taken over at quarterback which made Wakka a receiver. Yuffie was lined up behind them. It was a strange looking formation. The ball was hiked to Roxas who took a few steps back and handed it to Yuffie. Yuffie ran up the middle, stopped, and threw the ball back to Roxas.

"Roxas! Look up!"

Roxas could easily see Riku's silver hair overshadowed by Axel's free flowing spikes. He turned left, his eyes growing wide as Sora came rushing towards him. To his right was Olette. Rushed, Roxas heaved the ball in the air, a towering spiral heading straight for Riku and Axel.

"Got ya!" Sora said as he shoved Roxas to the ground, a split second late.

Both boys watched as Riku and Axel jockeyed for position, elbowing each other to create space. Riku jumped in the air, his hand making contact with the ball. As he fell backwards, Axel dove, swatting the ball free and tipping it high in the air. Out from nowhere, Hayner was able to catch the bobbled ball. He made a sharp turn and collided with Pence. It was like a mach truck collided with a bullet train. The end result would not be pretty.

"Are they dead?" Selphie asked.

"No, I think I saw Pence move," Xion said.

"What about Hayner?" Tidus asked.

Hayner opened his eyes. The ball was still cradled in his arms.

"Whoa, that's a...touchdown," Roxas realized.

"Yay! We win!" Kairi celebrated. "In your face!"

"Literally," Pence agreed as he turned his face away from Hayner's butt. He pushed his friend off and slowly stood to his feet. "That is not a good sight to see."

"I don't know Pence," Yuffie comtemplated. "Hayner isn't packing much behind there. I don't know if you could see anything."

"Hey! Stop talking about me!"

-KH-

With the football game over the gang decided to join the rest of the party bangers who were getting low on the dance floor. The speakers jammed out hip-hop hits, bass so low it made windows vibrate. Sora looked over at the DJ booth to find Demyx there, a microphone twirling in his hand.

"AYE! Whud up South Beach? DJ Demyx up in here on the tables, turning labels for your listening pleasure. I want to congratulate the birthday boy, I mean birthday _man_, Riku, on turning the big 1-8. Guess what ladies, he's legal and I'm single. So holla at yo boy!"

Sora shook his head and rubbed his forehead. Inviting this guy was a bad idea.

Throngs of girls swirled around Riku giving him hugs and kisses and congratulating him. He was pulled away from his group of friends and thrown in the middle of the dance floor.

Sora made his way past the crowd and over to the open bar. Thankfully there was no alcohol being served and he decided to pop open a glass of soda. He rested his arm on the counter, exchanging glances and smiles at a few of his friends who managed to show up. As he watched his friends and other people dancing on the floor, his eyes slowly turned to find Kairi sitting on the sand, a umbrella drink in her hand. She, too, was looking at the dancers, her body swaying just a bit to the beat of the music.

"Hey, Sora!" Roxas called, interupting his stare. "Come on and join us." He, Namine, Hayner, Wakka, and Olette were dancing in a circle. Shyly, Sora waved them off. He wasn't much of a dancer.

"You know, she looks awfully lonely," a voice said behind him.

Sora nodded. He turned around, surprised to find Selphie sitting there, sipping on a cold drink. "You should ask her to dance."

"I don't know," Sora replied. "I'm not much of a dancer, you know. By the way, why aren't you dancing?"

"Already did."

"Oh."

"Go ahead and ask her, Sora," Selphie once again told him, as she nudged him off the seat. She rested her feet on the stool, preventing Sora from sitting down again. "I'll save your spot."

"Fine..."

Sora exhaled as he took a seat on the sand next to Kairi. Her eyes were still focused on the dancing. She probably didn't notice him. Sora scratched his head. Maybe using the age-old ice breaker would help the situation.

"So...great party, huh?"

Kairi blinked as she turned her head to find Sora sitting next to her. She blushed slightly, embarassed she had ignored him. "I'm sorry. What was that?"

"I said, 'do you want to dance?'" Sora bit down on his lip, hoping she'd say yes.

"Sure, I'd love to," Kairi said as she grabbed hold of Sora's hand. They walked hand-in-hand until they found a suitable spot to dance, free of crazy people and their gyrating hips. Sora placed a shaky hand on Kairi's bare waist, his other hand following shortly, once he finds the courage to do so. It was just really weird seeing her in a bathing suit and an uncomfortable feeling followed Sora around as he led Kairi in the dance. She was really light on her feet, he noticed.

Someone whistled rather loudly and he turned his head, red with embarassment, as Roxas and Axel exchanged high fives and funny looks. Pence, who was roaming around, had his camera around his neck and decided to take a picture of the dancing couple. He did have pictures of his other friends mainly: Olette, Roxas, and Hayner. This one was definitely a keeper and hopefully no Nobody would come and take this one away.

The song finally ended as Kairi leaned in and wrapped Sora in a warm hug. "Thanks for dancing with me." She smiled, giving Sora's hand a squeeze.

As she walked away to find Selphie, Sora was left speechless, jaw hanging until Riku came over and slapped him across the back.

"Was that you and Kairi I saw dancing together?"

Sora slowly nodded. He was still in a strawberry filled daze and was kind of slow on the up take.

"Atta boy, Sora. I'm gonna get something to drink. Want anything?"

He shook his head like a robot.

"Ok then. I'll see you around, you player, you."

Sora finally snapped out of his trance and was immediately greeted by the throbbing pain in his back. "OWWIE!"

-KH-

Soon nighttime had arrived and the throng of people had began to leave. Riku took a seat on the sand, exhausted but satisfied at how his party turned out. He had been in the middle of every dance, been hugged and kissed by nearly every female he came across, and been punched silly. After 432 punches, he had lost count. His body was throbbing; he hadn't felt this pain since fighting Xemnas.

"Sheesh, Riku. I never knew you looked good in purple," Selphie teased as she pressed a finger on one of Riku's bruises. "You look like Tinky Winky."

"Very funny. Now, stop doing that! That hurts!" He seethed as he slapped down at the girl's hand. Shivering slightly, he wrapped his black coat around himself. "It's cold out here."

"Cold? Nah, it'll be warm soon. I just have to get this blasted lighter to work," Axel called over as he hovered over the ash pit, a lighter in hand. With a quick flick of the wrist, a tiny fire had started. Axel added a couple dried leaves and several of Namine's old drawings of him. _She has to learn to put her stuff on deviantart._ He warmed his hands over the fire as the rest of the group huddled around him.

"We should have brought some marshmallows," Hayner said, as he picked up a lonely stick.

"Yeah, brudda, that would have been good right now."

"I got some," Roxas piped in as he rushed over to his backpack and slipped out a bag of jumbo sized marshmallows.

"Oh yeah. Roxas got the goods," Tidus beamed, catching the bag. He tore it open and stabbed a marshmallow on his skewer before handing the bag to the nearest person. Axel smiled as he summoned his chakrams. With eight spikes per chakram, and two at his disposal, he could roast 16 marshmallows at once. In fact that's exactly what he did. He lit his chakrams on fire, toasting all 16 marshmallows.

Sora and Kairi sat side by side, their marshmallows roasting over the open fire. It had been quite a day and a good ol' bonfire was the perfect way to end the evening. Sora smiled as he thought back to their dance. It was the slowest and most nerve racking 3 minutes of his teenage life but it would be one memory he would always cherish. The feel of Kairi's skin, the touch of her hand, and the way she smiled the entire time made Sora forget all about his two left feet. As a matter of fact, he felt like he was flying.

"Sora, your hand!" Kairi yelled out, snapping the boy from his thoughts.

Sora instantly pulled his hand away from the fire after feeling a sudden rise in temperature, and accidentally bumping into Kairi's hand. Their marshmallows became stuck together like glue.

"Whoops," Sora apologized as he pulled his stick back, trying to seperate the marshmallows. It was all in vain, the heat welding them together.

"It's alright Sora. I'll just bite from this side and you can have the other side."

It sounded simple.

Sora lowered his mouth, carefully taking a small bite from the side. Kairi did the same.

"Psst...check it out," Riku whispered as he nudged Selphie in the ribs. "Look at Sora and Kairi."

Selphie looked up, pleasantly amazed at the scene that was unfolding. It reminded her of the spaghetti scene in the _Lady and the Tramp_. She fought the urge to explode in a euphoria of fluff. Instead she stuffed her mouth with marshmallows, allowing no sound to escape her lips.

Roxas and Hayner were exchanging elbow bumps while clearing their throat to hide their laughter. Everyone else just looked on, wide-eyed in anticipation for the fateful bite that would send Sora's and Kairi's lips crashing together.

Sora and Kairi's lips came closer together as the amount of marhsmallow between them dwindled. Sora tilted his head to avoid Kairi's bangs but stopped himself centimeters short. He was _this_ close to Kairi's face. Kairi's eyes were closed, he noticed. A blush crept on his face as her eyes flickered open. Kairi's face was flushed pink as well, realizing that only a tiny morsel of marshmallow was between them. She eyed Sora's lips that formed a tiny smile and her heart skipped a beat. Her lips parted and she closed her eyes once again.

It was right there. She was right there. Three inches away. If he pursed his lips, he would have kissed her. Sora closed his eyes, hearing the faint whispers of encouragement from everyone around him.

"You can do it Sora," someone cheered.

"Go for it, brudda."

"Ohmygosh, ohmygosh, ohmygosh, ohmygosh."

"Kiss her already."

In the heat of the moment and to the shock of everyone, Sora pulled back. He couldn't do it.

"I'm sorry," he whispered to Kairi.

"Awww..."

"BOOO!"

"That was weak sauce man!"

"Woot! I'm still winning!"

Sora smiled comically as shook his head. He was disappointed in himself, disappointed in the fact that he was scared.

Everyone soon calmed down as the final rounds of soda was being passed around. It was turning midnight in half an hour and everyone decided to head home. Riku hugged all the girls, thanking them for coming while high fiving all the guys. Everyone left leaving Riku and Sora by themselves.

"This was one heck of a party," Sora said as he stuffed the remaining trash in the bin.

"Seriously. It turned out better than I expected. Come on, I'll race you home."

"You're on!"

Both boys took to the sky, disappearing in a trail of pixie dust.

* * *

Just a hint of marshmallow fluff and I'm definitely in the mood to hit the beach. Can you believe that I haven't gone in a year? I'll probably go next month after summer school. Well take it easy guys and thanks for reading!

_Rock out, party hard, live hardcore_


	9. Cat's Outta the Bag

_-Chapter Nine-_**  
Cat's Outta the Bag  
**

Sora awoke the next morning to a gentle breeze that blew into his room. His windows were open as he slept since he forgot to close them after arriving last night. His window was the most use section of the house for exiting and entering. It was like a secret entrance high above the western coastline. At night it provided easy access to his roof to get a glimspe of the night's sky. In this case, the sun was out and shining. Zero percent precipitation and not a single cloud in the sky. It would be another beautiful summer day. Sora tore off his blankets and wrestled into his shirt that lay beside him. Yesterday was absolutely amazing. He had tons of fun, danced with the girl of his dreams, and _almost_ scored a kiss.

Yes, it was a bittersweet memory and looking back, he had the green light. It was all systems go, fire at will, go for the gusto. Too bad he didn't have any guts - so he backed off. He imagined her angelic face, eyes closed, and lips pursed. Sora blushed, picturing the marshmallow dwindling in size, their mouths coming closer. As proof of how close they were, he could feel her body heat radiate from her face. Kairi was definitely expecting a kiss. He yell at the top of his lungs obliterating the memory from his mind.

"Sweetie are you ok?" his mom called from downstairs.

"Yeah," Sora answered back. "I'm fine...perfectly fine."

He got up from bed and walked into the restroom. Turning on the faucet, he splashed some water on his face to clear his thoughts. _Come on, Sora. Get a hold of yourself. It's gonna be fine. _He was shaking uncontrollably. His emotions were riled all because of a girl and her strawberry colored lips. Dang those lips and those purple colored eyes and a touch so soft it made shivers run down his spine. It was _too_ much. Maybe he was overthinking again. It was probably a good decision to let the opportunity slide. How weird would it sound to have your first kiss come from fighting over the last bite? Laughably, Sora feared that he would be seen as a greedy glutton with no manners, giving up Kairi's kissing virginity for the last bite of a marshmallow. It wasn't even a smore!

He turned on the shower, adjusting the water temperature to lukewarm. Tossing off his clothing, he hopped inside, letting the cool water wake him from his groggy state. He applied shampoo then tossed the empty bottle into the trashcan. That was another bottle down, the third one this week. Long hair was hard to maintain but getting his ears lowered never crossed his mind. He was probably scared of scissors. After rubbing his body in soap and rinsing off, he stepped out the shower, shivering. He wrapped a towel around his waist and opened the door, letting the steam escape to the outside. As he entered his room, he was surprised to find a pile of rocks laying on his bed. Examining closely, he fell back as a sharp stone nearly took his head off. Running to the direction of his window, he peeped out, to find Riku waiting for him.

"What the heck, man?" Sora shouted from up above. "You could kill someone doing that?"

"Ah. Only you'd be stupid enough to get hit by rocks," Riku answered as he tossed another one. He missed wide, hitting the chimney. "Besides, that's what you get for leaving your window open. Just be thankful it was only rocks. What would happen if a pedophile came through your window?"

Sora shuddered. Why his thoughts focused on Xaldin was quite disturbing. He had a tendency to pop in and out of places so much as the Beast ended up installing a new security system. Masterlock 2.0. Sora could feel goosebumps over his skin and looking down, he found himself dressed only in a towel, standing in the open air in front of another guy. _So who was the pedophile again?_

Sora left the window and attempted to get dressed, amidst flying rocks. He stumbled into his boxers, hopping around on one foot trying to avoid the rocks on his floor. It got tricky when he had to put his shirt on. Blindedness was not good and as he turned around, he felt a rather sharp object hit him from behind.

"BOOM! HEADSHOT! If we were playing Halo, you'd be my bit-"

"Yeah, yeah," Sora grimaced as he rubbed his scalp. A wave of relief overcame him as he found no blood on his fingers. Glancing at his mirror, he saw Riku levitating behind him. "Cheap shot."

"What are you talking about? You could have easily seen my reflection in the mirror. You're just not being aware of your surroundings."

Sora shrugged as he stood in front of the mirror, tending to his hair. Brushing his damp bangs from his eyes, he had to make sure each spike was accounted for.

Riku floated over to the bed and fell on top of it. "Hey, come on. You're slow."

"Why? What's going on?" Sora asked.

"There's this new movie out, _Get Him to the Greek_. I want to see it. Pence, who was at the premiere said it was hilarious."

"But that's rated R. Only you could go see it."

"Eh, don't worry about it. Wakka works there, remember? I'm sure he'll let you in."

"I guess."

"Alright then. Let's go!"

-KH-

Kairi and Selphie sat side-by-side on the bench, watching shoppers pass on by. The shopping district was jam-packed today. Stores were crowded and the amount of people vying for space made it look like a wrestling match. Today had the makings of a wonderful day and the girls decided to hit the town. It was painted red in sales and saving money was reason enough for Selphie to grab the clothes she wanted, half off. They spent most of their time window shopping, casually admiring all the shiny items that caught their attention. Though Kairi didn't buy anything, the fresh air was more than enough reason to get out of the house. Her mind had been occupied lately with thoughts of a certain boy and a stick of roasted marshamallow. Selphie figured that getting her out in the open would ease her.

"Man, this is insane!" Selphie noted as she dropped her bag down beside her. "Who knew it would be so full today? You think they would have mall traffic alerts like they do on the highway." She turned her head to Kairi, who sat there tentatively watching a nearby couple share a laugh.

_Great. She still hasn't snapped out of it. I can't believe that Sora, leaving Kairi high and dry like that. If those spikes were red colored, I swear he'd be a chicken. Argh, he makes me sooo mad!_

Tapping her lip, She decided to keep the one-woman conversation going, hoping it would entice Kairi to answer. She had been silent this entire outing, making the overzealous Selphie feel down today.

"I pushed aside two girls to buy this top and I'll shove some more once the pants I want are on sale..."

_Come on Kairi. This is your cue. Tell me how mean and crazy I am._

"_..._"

"Stupid _Sora_."

"Huh?" Kairi managed to say as she broke from her thoughts. "Did you say something?"

"What? Oh no. I didn't say anything. You're probably hearing things."

"Oh, you're probably right. I'm sorry Sel, I'm not feeling it today."

Selphie easily noticed a quiver in Kairi's upper lip as she talked. There was a hint of sadness in her eyes, and the way she blinked was more than enough to see that she was on the verge of tears.

"Hey, Kairi, it's alright," Selphie soothed as she looped her arm around Kairi's arm, drawing her close. "It's okay."

Kairi nodded fighting the onslaught of tears she was holding back. "Yeah...I know. I'll be fine, Selphie. I promise." She forced a weak smile, her sadness seeping through the ends of her lips.

Selphie pulled her up, leading her outside to a small clearing, isolated from shoppers and onlookers. The moment she took a seat, Kairi buried her head in her chest, sobbing.

"Kairi..."

-KH-

"WHADDYA MEAN I CAN'T BUY THESE TICKETS?"

"Sorry brudda," Wakka apologized. "I can't sell them to you because of..."

Riku turned around to find Sora standing patiently behind him.

"Aww come on! It's only Sora. He's your friend, too, you know."

"Yeah, but Yevon would never forgive me for breaking the rules ya?"

"_Na_. I thought you didn't follow that anymore."

"I don't. But Yevon is the name of my boss. He knows I've been giving out too many discounts, brudda. He's on to me. I can't break the rules anymore."

"This is the last time, come on. Then we'll just forget this ever happened."

"Last time, ya?"

"Yes, last time."

Wakka sighed as he hit the 'print' button on the register. Out came two tickets. Tearing them from the dispenser, Wakka slipped them under the window.

Riku saluted as he ushered Sora into the theatre, slipping the boy his ticket.

"Shrek?" Sora wailed.

"Shh...keep it down." Riku pulled Sora aside. "You'll have to hop rooms. They're only one room away. Just slip in."

"But why Shrek? Don't you think that's a little suspicious?"

"Nope. I heard that Shrek was good. It may be even better than the first." Riku winked as they approached the ticket taker guy.

"_Get Him to the Greek_ is theatre 1. First door at the end of the hall. _Shrek_ is theatre 2, second door. Here are your 3-D glasses. Enjoy the show."

Sora and Riku walked past him. It was now time to sneak Sora in. Luckily, the theatre doors were side-by-side. If both doors were opened at the same time, it would hide any activity, making it seem that both boys entered their specific room. Plan C should do the trick. Sora stood in front of theatre 2 and opened the door. At the same time, Riku opened the next door. Using the doors to block the view, Sora slipped into theatre 1.

The room was pitch black and Sora and Riku stumbled up the stairs. As expected the room was full and the only open seats were towards the back. Sora followed Riku up the steps to the top row, taking a seat on the edge. By that time, the previews had just finished and the feature presentation was now rolling.

-KH-

Moments passed and Kairi had finished crying. Her eyes were bloodshot red and what little makeup she wore had rubbed off exposing her natural elegance. Selphie took a tissue and wiped off the tears that trailed down Kairi's cheeks.

"I'm really sorry, Selphie. I just feel really bad."

"Why? You haven't done anything wrong."

"I-I just...I just thought Sora liked me and then he tried to kiss me...It broke my heart when he didn't. I just thought for a second, maybe, he did like me." Kairi sniffed once more as she reached for more tissue.

"He does like you. Actually, he likes you more than you realize. He just scared to admit it."

"Then why didn't he-?"

"I don't know what he was thinking at the moment. I'm telling you, that boy's reasons aren't innocent as he believes. Getting a kiss for no good reason at all..."

"What do you mean?"

"Huh? Oh. Nothing. You didn't hear that."

"Selphie, what's going on? What do you mean, _reasons_. Isn't liking me reason at all?"

"Well...yes...kinda...maybe...not really..."

"Selphie."

"Oh alright. Fine. If you really want to know then I'll tell you. I wasn't much for secrets anyways." Selphie took a deep breath. "You know how Sora and Riku are always playing games right?"

"Uh huh."

"Well the game they have in mind concerns you."

"Yeah?"

"Actually, most of their games involves you. You were always the prize with the winner getting the chance to offer you a paopu fruit. That was why Sora always tried so hard to win."

"But Riku never get me a paopu fruit."

"He just said that to get Sora all worked up. Anyways, Sora challenged Riku to a truth or dare game."

"I know. Sora was bragging about how he was going to win this time around."

"Yeah, well...not so much now."

"Sora's not going to win?"

"Uh...he might."

"Why? What did Riku dare Sora to do?"

"Um...Kiss _you_."

Kairi felt like she was hit by a wave of cold water. Shocked and surprised, it all made sense now. "I...I can't believe he'd do that me."

"Believe it, sister. Sure it sounded cute at first to see Sora struggle but then it got kind of annoying, as if the story wasn't going anywhere. I don't blame you if he played with your emotions. I know how much he means to you."

"Sora..."

"Anyways, since you're still feeling down, let's go the ice cream shop. That always cheers me up!"

-KH-

Riku and Sora filed out the theatre, all smiles and laughter. That had been one of the more funny comedies since _The Hangover_. Sora and Riku were rolling in laughter the entire time.

"I can't believe you watched the entire movie with those glasses on."

"Yeah. P. Diddy's head looked enormous."

"He calls himself Diddy now," Riku corrected.

"Yeah? When did he drop the P?"

"When he used the restroom."

"That's stupid, man."

"I know. But it's funny. It sounds like your stomach is laughing too.

"Haha. I'm just hungry."

"Yeah, me too. Let's hit the ice cream parlor."

They snaked their way past the stampede of shoppers, in and out of doors, and finally into the open summer air of the plaza. Tile flooring covered the ground, leading up to a newly erected water fountain. Tiny orbs of munny and the occasional green magic orb could be found at the bottom. Surrounding the water fountain were numberous umberella tables and chairs that provided a good resting place just outside the coffee house. It was a popular meeting place.

Both boys crossed the street and cut through the parking lot. The parlor was a couple of blocks away. Sora hopped over benches and Riku swung off light poles, moving at a frantic pace, as they closed the distance. They raced, jumped, rolled, and flipped over any obstacle that was before them garnering applause and fascination from passerbys.

"Hurry up, Sora," Riku called from up ahead. He had just cleared a bush and was picking up speed.

"Yeah. Just give me a second," Sora replied breathlessly as he split through two people and turned the corner. "I definitely need a skate board. By the way, why can't you just open up a portal? It would be faster."

"I wish I could but it would cause too much of a scene. Besides, I don't like to use my powers of darkness too much. Brings back bad memories."

Sora grimaced as he lost his footing. There was a wetspot that he slipped on and without his fast reflexes he was certainly going to faceplant. He was able to catch himself last minute. "How long more?"

"About one more block."

Riku and Sora turned the last corner and quickly threw on the brakes. They fell to the ground, stumbling like tumbleweed in the desert.

"KAIRI!" Sora exclaimed.

"And Selphie," Riku muttered.

"What are you guys doing here?" Selphie asked as he helped the boys to their feet.

"We just finished watching a movie," Riku replied. "We're going for some ice cream. Wanna join us?"

Selphie turned to Kairi who took a glance at Sora. Sora smiled in return prompting Kairi to instantly turn away. "No thanks, Riku. I'm just going to head home. Bye."

"W-wait," Sora reached out grabbing her wrist. "Are you sure?"

Kairi overlooked him, turning her attention to Selphie. "I'll talk to you later, Sel."

Sora let go, feeling a pang in his chest. Kairi had just flat out ignored him.

"Wait, Kairi. I'll come with you," she said calling the red head back. "Sorry guys, but I have to go now."

Riku and Sora watched as the girls walked away before heading inside.

"What's up with her?" Sora asked as he took a seat on the bar stool.

"I don't know. Do you think it's that time of the month?"

Sora looked up at the hanging wall clock. It read _12:30_.

"You think she's hungry? 'Cause I know, I am."

Riku walked away, shaking his head.

"What?" Sora asked calling after him. "If you were hungry too, you could have said something!"

"Sora, I don't think now would be a good time to joke. Kairi really looked sad."

"Yeah, by what?"

"_You_."

"Me? What did I do?"

"Remember yesterday at the party when you were eating those marshmallows?"

"Yeah?"

"I really think Kairi was expecting you to kiss her."

"R-really?" Sora's face flushed red as he looked down at the counter top.

"Yeah, really. I think Kairi took it personal. She _likes_ you, ya know."

"She does?"

"Uh huh."

"I didn't mean to...oh man. I messed up big time, didn't I?"

"Oh yeah."

"What am I supposed to do now?"

"For starters, I'd talk to her and tell her that I'm sorry for leading her on."

"But I wasn't leading her on. I like her. I mean, I really really like her."

"I know."

"You do?"

"Yeah. You're so easy to read that a pre-schooler can read you."

Sora sighed.

"Hey Sora. Hey Riku, what could I get for you guys?" Louie asked as he grabbed a scooper.

"I'll take the regular," Riku answered. "Just put it on my tab."

"Alright. Same for you, Sora?"

Sora looked down at the containers of ice cream. "Um...I'll take a paopu passion with marshmallows on top, to go."

"To go?"

"Yeah, just put it on Riku's tab.

"What the-?"

"Sorry Riku, I gotta go. I have to take care of something. Later Louie."

As Sora bolted out the store, Riku fell back into his seat, digging through his wallet for change. "Better be worth it."

* * *

Feels like a while since I last put up a chapter. I guess that's what summer school does to ya, huh? It'll be over next week! =D I'm guessing everyone, except my brother, is on summer break, so congrats on surviving another school year! Reward yourself with some ice cream.

Story status: I planned orignally for 10 chapters, and I'm right on schedule. =D If you haven't guessed, the next chapter will be all about Sora's attempt to reconcile with Kairi and yeah. I have a feeling someone is going to get mad at me because of the shortness. Thanks for reading!

Until next time...

_Rock out, party hard, live hardcore_


	10. Truth

Although we've come to the END OF THE ROAD...

* * *

_-Chapter Ten-_**  
Truth**

Sora walked down the street, his small steps getting him nowhere quick. He had just passed through the neighborhood park by taking a shortcut around the bushes. Having memorized the streets like the back of his hand, he knew Kairi's home was just around the corner at last. It had taken him a while to get here.

He stopped across from Kairi's house and noticed the downstairs blinds were open. Even from his distance, he could easily see inside, the off-white color walls bright. It felt empty though. His eyes wandered up the walls of the building, making their way up to Kairi's room. The blinds were drawn, but he knew she was inside. Frowning, Sora walked across the street and stood on the porch.

In his hand was the cup of paopu passion ice cream that was now melting under the intense summer sun. It would completely liquefy before Kairi had the chance to eat it, his shot at an apology melting away. Sora rang the bell, and took a seat on the steps until Kairi came to open the door. While waiting, he rubbed the back of neck with his hand, wondering to what to say. How was he supposed to pacify a girl with a bigger appetite than himself? It was apparent that Kairi's favorite "time of the month" had to be lunch. Obviously, it was Sora's favorite time as well.

Sora furrowed his eyebrows. Maybe she was sleeping? He knocked on the door, yelling her name out. His knuckles began to turn red, and, still there was sign of life. Sora jumped off the porch and reached down to scoop up a couple rocks. Taking aim, he tossed one into the air, hitting the window pane.

"Kairi, open up! It's Sora."

He threw another one. This one hit the glass.

"I have ice cream!"

He was running out of ammunition and patience. On the other hand, Kairi would have to get her windows washed.

"Open up!" Sora tossed his final rock just as Kairi pushed open the windows. She shrieked as the grey pebble whizzed past her head, landing harmlessly on her carpet.

"SORA! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!"

"Oh man…"

He could see fire in Kairi's glaring eyes and his knees buckled. She was definitely pissed off. "SORA! COME HERE!"

The boy forced the lump in his throat down as he shamefully walked up to the door. He swore the ground was shaking around him, and he could hear Kairi's heavy steps as she came down the staircase. It made his heart tremble. Girls sure are scary when they're mad.

He flinched as the door bolt clanged back, the door swinging out in front of him. It felt like he had been hit by a typhoon, and he took a step back to prevent falling over. In the middle of the storm, stood Kairi. She had a hand resting on her hip, the other curled into a fist. Her face was red as her hair and the aura of hell exuding from her petite body.

"WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?" she yelled as her fist ran into Sora's arm.

"Nothing," Sora whimpered as he rubbed the location of injury while silently casting a cure spell. He had been hit harder many times before, but this caught him by surprise. Kairi surely didn't hit like a girl anymore. "I just wanted to bring you something to eat. I brought ice cream." He offered the gift, regretfully. It would have made a good ice pack for his bruise. Instead, she reached out and grabbed the ice cream, engulfing it- not exactly lightening the mood.

"You seemed mad back there and I wanted to make you feel better," the boy continued. "You haven't had lunch yet and that's probably why you were grumpy."

Kairi's eyes widened. Sora was definitely saying the wrong things today, and though he claimed innocence, his ignorance was not at all bliss. "Do you want to know why I'm grumpy?"

"Uh…sure."

"I'm grumpy because SOME BOY DECIDED TO TOY WITH MY EMOTIONS AND BREAK MY HEART LIKE IT WAS AN AIR HOCKEY TABLE!"

_She found out _Sora thought to himself. "It wasn't my fault though. We were caught up in a heated game."

"That's not what I'm talking about," she snapped. "I'm talking about that dumb dare! You're a jerk, Sora. I can't believe that everything you did was a lie. I thought we were friends…"

"We _are_ friends," Sora assured.

"Then why didn't you tell me?"

"I don't know. I thought it was stupid too, you know? I mean, what was I supposed to say? 'Hey Kairi, Riku dared me to kiss you. So could I kiss you?' I don't think it works that way!"

"You should have tried it though. I would have…" Kairi shifted her eyes downwards at her feet, a slight blush staining her cheek. "Selphie told me everything."

"Wait, you knew? Kairi…I'm sorry."

"It's okay, Sora. I know you wouldn't do anything to hurt me." Kairi grabbed his hand and gave it a little squeeze. "I trust you, but you're going to need more than just ice cream to get back on my good side."

"Yeah, I know."

An awkward silence filled the air as Sora leaned against the wall, his eyes wandering to the traffic outside.

"So, you wanna tell me what is _really_ going on?" the girl's voice chimed in.

"I thought Selphie told you everything." Now that he thought about it, he hoped Selphie didn't mention anything too embarassing, like not knowing how to properly dress or scripting himself so he wouldn't say anything wrong.

"She did," Kairi stated. "But you know her, she exaggerates everything."

_...About half an hour later..._

Sora finally concluded: "I didn't want to take away your kissing virginity by doing something stupid. I'm not a sleaze bag like Riku". Inside, he imagined giving himself a high five knowing he had oven roasted Riku. That felt so good!

Kairi smiled for the first time and it was a welcoming sight to see. Sora breathed a breath of relief. At least, Kairi wasn't in devil mode, and that made conversation a lot easier.

"Sora, you're not a sleaze bag. You're just a lazy bum!"

"But I'm _your _lazy bum."

"Yeah, yeah. Don't rub it in. I'm not very proud of that fact. But I can't believe you actually went to Selphie for help."

"Sheesh Kairi, give me a break! I didn't know where else to turn. Besides, she knows a lot about this kind of stuff."

"So the movie thing was her idea?"

"Yeah."

"And the…at the beach?"

He had totally forgotten about that. Instantly, images of that fateful day started to flood into his mind. Kairi's frame fitting into her two-piece, the joy radiating from her purple eyes, the closeness of their lips, and the dancing flames that symbolized his burning desire for her. Now he would never forget it. That moment had been singed in his skull by the heat of embarrassment. He was certain his face was glowing red.

"Hey Sora?"

Sora snapped out from his thoughts. "Sorry, I blacked out there for a moment."

"Wanna play truth or dare?" she suddenly asked.

"What? You mean right now?" Sora's startled look said it all. Here, he was expecting Kairi to chew him out. Instead, she was inviting him to play games.

"Please..." Kairi dropped her smile into a tiny frown. Sora felt a pang in his heart. He hated to see her sad, and he really hated it when she did _that_.

"...Fine," he defeatedly answered.

"One condition, though. You have to pick truth."

"If I have to-"

"You have to," she cut in.

_Persistent isn't she? _"Alright. Truth."

"Did you really just want to kiss me so you could win?"

"I uh...no," he admitted. "It was a surprise when Riku dared me to do that. I like you Kairi. I really, really, really like you. If traveling across 15 million different worlds without a map, killing 100 Heartless in two minutes, and killing myself doesn't mean I don't love you, then I don't know what does." Sora stood to his feet, his eyes glazed over from recalling the hardest day of his life. "You know when I thought you died back in Hallow Bastion, I felt my heart breaking more than when I stabbed myself."

There was silence once again as Sora felt the life drain out of his body. Closing his eyes, he turned around no longer able to face the girl he had fought so hard for. He cursed himself for taking that stupid dare. It would have been better for him to live as a Heartless. Surely, it was better to live without a heart than to have one broken into tiny pieces. Fighting against the hot tears that were welling in his eyes, he slowly walked away. But before he could take the final step off the porch, he felt something crash against his body.

"Sora, where are you going?" He immediately recognized it as Kairi's voice. He froze unable to fight off the arms that were latched around his midsection. "Don't," Kairi mumbled, her face pressed on his back. "I always loved you too."

Sora's eyes shot open, the tears gone. Instead, he was filled with joy. Turning around, he embraced the girl tightly. The sweet scent of strawberries filled his nose as he rested his cheek on the top of her head. Closing his eyes, he could feel the world stop, the surroundings diminishing into nothingness. It was just him and her. Sora looked down into her clear purple irises, finding himself lost in her eyes. As he imagined himself drowning in them, it felt like he was dreaming. He was floating unable to believe that this was real. Opening his eyes, he found himself immersed in a tranquil darkness, and he could hear the deep recesses of his soul.

_Growl_.

"You know, I haven't had lunch yet so…" he admitted.

"Are you asking me out, Sora?" The ends of her lips were slightly upwards, full of expectancy.

"No. I'm just saying that I'm hungry."

"Well, I dare you to ask me out to lunch."

Sora shrugged. "I think I can do that."

"And pay for me?" she cutely inserted.

"Yea-What?"

"Thanks!" she laughed as she lightly pecked his lips before running down the street. "Come on, I'll race you there."

-KH-

The sound of steps along the ground ceased, and after a moment, Riku reared his head from the bushes to find the street totally vacant. He got off his knees and stood to his feet. Patting the dirt from his pants, he blew a couple silver locks that were dangling over his brow. A smile played on his lips as he pushed a couple buttons on his camera, scrolling past page after page. When he had come to the end, he enlarged the photo of Kairi kissing a sheepishily stunned Sora. Riku could barely contain his laughter as a tiny spark shined in his eye. He turned off the camera and slipped it back inside his pocket. Heading home for the day, he wondered what was going to happen in round two. He needed a lot of ammunition, because this game was far from over.

**END**

* * *

Finally, it's done! For a story that was only 10 chapters long, it sure took a while. I didn't think I could bring it all together. There were all these different ideas hitting me from all sides, like an air hockey game. I was scared that I was going to lose the reason why I wrote this guy in the first place. But, whew, I'm done!

I decided to end on a lighter note, and make this chapter short and sweet. I've had people tell me to get the point already (**Transitions End, Allied Forces)**, and God knows, I can't write long chapters like **Redeeming Endeavor **or long stories like **Shire Folk. ****Chickenman00712, Craxuan, and dearlybelovedangel **know that fact very well since they been with me for quite a while. Good to see you guys again! **Goldenpeltthewarrior**, also, probably knows how bad a writer I am by now since she read/reviewed every single chapter. =D But, while I enjoy the company of older friends, I'm always happy to hear from new faces: **dramione torenn, PEARLSHIPPERBRETT, Namilaa, SonChan, burningbright, ****nanny kiwi gurl,**** Alice Hates Wonderland, WaterAngel-Alyssa, Chaos, Ziddy 2343, **and** Melow**. Thank you all for sticking with me these past 3 months! Thanks for all the encouragements, comments, and feedback. So, that's it from my end. But keep on writing and who knows, maybe I'll stumble upon your latest work and I'm sure it'll put a smile on my face just as this story put a smile on yours, I hope.

_Rock out, party hard, live hardcore_


End file.
